Dive Brief:
- U.S. News and World Report has removed Missouri's Lindenwood University from its rankings because it submitted inflated numbers.
- Rollins College in Florida also reported incorrect data, but its position in the rankings wasn't affected.
- Lindenwood was dropped from both the Regional Universities (Midwest) and Best Colleges for Veterans lists, but it can rejoin the rankings next year if it submits accurate numbers.
Dive Insight:
U.S. News and World Report says that Lindenwood originally told the magazine that the school had 12,411 alumni donors in 2012 and 2013, giving it a two-year average alumni giving rate of 37.5%. The correct numbers were 2,411 and 11.9%. Rollins College said it admitted 2,233 students in the fall of 2013 for an acceptance rate of 47.2%; the correct numbers were 2,783 and 58.8%. Acceptance rates count for 1.5% of the ranking calculation; alumni donations are 5%.