| Abstract: | We present a data-based perspective concerning recent (e.g., 2008) Maclean’s magazine rankings of Canadian universities, including cluster analysis of the 2008 data. Canadian universities empirically
resemble and relate to each other in a manner different from their formal classification and final rank ordering in the Maclean’s system. Several pitfalls in ranking procedures, related to invalid and unreliable relationships among indices underlying
the final ranks, are outlined, along with relevant findings from previous studies. In their present format, although they
have become increasingly publicized and promoted, data based on the Maclean’s system can seemingly be of only limited practical use to students. Perhaps more important, in our opinion, ranking exercises
have unintended though potentially serious consequences for the intellectual and personal well-being of students. |
