Honestly, university ratings are themselves a joke.
The truth is... teachers and universities don't matter.
If you look at a lot of the top schools... their famous professors don't actually care about teaching and only hold classes so they can run experiments out of their college.
Teachers, funding, pedigree... these aren't what make great universities great. There isn't that much difference between an amazing teacher and a decent teacher once you get to college level.
The main difference. Is the Students.
Swap the student bodies of Harvard and Montana State... and i'd wager you'd be surprised.
Harvard wouldn't be able to do much with Montana State students... and Montana State would suddenly be one of the best colleges in the country.
Students and their drive and willingness to learn are what drive great schools. They're great because they get the students most equipped and most wanting to learn.
It's just like sports teams. I mean, sure coaches are fairly important, but what do you think would happen if Aston Villa and Chelsea just changed rosters?
