Rankings Strategy & Consulting for Colleges & Universities

Rankings Strategy & Analysis

At Kennedy & Company, we specialize in helping colleges and universities analyze and manage their rankings performance across national and international platforms such as U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times, QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education, and others. Whether you're a small liberal arts college, a business or law school, or a large research university, your institution’s position in the rankings can significantly influence student recruitment, academic reputation, fundraising success, and strategic partnerships. Understanding the methodology helps schools take a strategic approach to how they, and their stakeholders, perceive the rankings.

OUR APPROACH

Whether we like it or not, higher education rankings drive decision-making at every level.
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Prospective students compare schools by rank and prestige
Boards and leadership teams view rankings as a metric of institutional success
Alumni, donors, and partners associate rankings with impact and quality

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Unfortunately, these stakeholders may not understand how rankings work, how long it takes to change them, or how to do so and that is where Kennedy & Company can help.

Kennedy & Company enables institutions to move beyond reactive rankings reporting and toward a strategic, data-driven, mission-aligned approach.

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Our Higher Education Rankings Services

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1. Rankings Performance Diagnostic

A comprehensive audit of your performance across rankings, identifying:

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Key performance indicators (KPIs) and ranking drivers
Trends over time across major ranking systems
Gaps between current standing and institutional aspirations
Benchmarking against peer and aspirational institutions

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Use cases: Understand why your university dropped in U.S. News rankings and how to correct it or understand how to move up in a future year.

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2. Rankings Strategy & Roadmap Development

We create a customized plan to enhance your institution’s rankings profile by focusing on where the rankings and your institution’s mission are aligned:

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Goals with big impact like improving retention and graduation rates
Quantitative and qualitative performance levers
Institutional storytelling and brand positioning
Tactical plans for rankings-influencing metrics
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Designed for provosts, presidents, and strategic planning offices aiming to align rankings with long-term institutional priorities.

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3. Data Accuracy & Reporting Support

Improve the reliability of your rankings submissions:

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Audit and improve IPEDS, CDS, and other external data feeds
Clarify internal roles and responsibilities for rankings reporting and quality control
Build cross-functional workflows that reduce errors and enhance transparency
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Especially valuable during changes to rankings methodologies (e.g., U.S. News changes in 2023–24).

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