I sat down with political scientist Kevin Wallsten to discuss his project building a new college ranking system from scratch. The standard metrics of acceptance rate, endowment size, and name recognition fail to address rising concerns about ideological bias and campus culture. With activism replacing the pursuit of truth throughout higher education, here’s what parents should know before sending their kids off to college.
We get into:
* Why University of Florida ranks #1 and Harvard lands at #37
* What the 68 variables in this new ranking system actually measure
* Why US News & World Report rankings almost never change, even as elite campuses melt down
* How faculty became activists, and why even tenured professors self-censor
* What DEI bureaucracies did to schools like the University of Michigan
* The three competing purposes of the university: personal development, job training, and politics
* Why universities are alienating the students they need most
_____________________________________
American Hartford Gold can help you protect your wealth with precious metals! Contact them today to get up to $20,000 in free silver on your first order! Call 888-650-9836, or text DAD to 65532, or click here find out more: https://offers.americanhartfordgold.com/content-affiliate/?Leadsource=Affiliate&utm_sfcampaign=701Nv00000hAYCcIAO
_____________________________________
City Journal College Rankings: https://collegerankings.city-journal.org/rankings
https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/college-rankings/PDFs/CollegeRankings.pdf
_____________________________________
Outline:
[0:00] Universities have lost public trust
[6:59 7:12] What happened on campus in 2015?
[16:38] How universities became ideological
[24:33] What is the purpose of education?
[37:00] Should we think of college as career training?
[45:38] Campus politics is a status game
[53:51] The self-censorship tipping point
[1:07:40] Why don’t academics like debate?
[1:19:09] How academics view American society
[1:26:43] Has a diploma become a meaningless credential?
[1:35:29] How colleges stack up in 2026
[1:57:35] University governance is broken
[2:06:48] The tension between public funding and academic freedom
[2:19:23] Higher ed is about to drop off a demographic cliff
_____________________________________
Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/
Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IaLNRUlScJk
Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?
Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/