Rankings Methodology
Publishing the most updated, accurate, and appropriate information available is our main goal. We take the extra steps needed to ensure that you have all of the necessary information to choose the best educational program in counseling or psychology, which is why we have developed a detailed program ranking process for our annual rankings. Here is just a small look at what that means for us:
Data Sources
Our rankings data is sourced carefully and accurately through some of the most well-respected organizations and establishments in regard to publicly sourced information. Some of these include:
- U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
- The Council for Community and Economic Research
Methodology
The methodology used in our rankings has been developed through a tireless but essential process of piecing together a complete collection of counseling and psychology programs. This was done in a variety of ways, including making several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
Once this data was collected and a database was formed, we filtered out the programs that had:
- No enrollment information via IPEDS
- Have closed or will be closing at the time of data collection
The next step in the process was to form our rankings into a "points" system based on the following factors:
- Acceptance and completion rates of the program
- Annual tuition and program costs in relation to the local cost of living
- Accreditation status
- Competitiveness of the institution
- The diversity of programs offered
- The size of the school and applicable department
- Years of experience/tenure of faculty
Concerns, Questions, and Corrections
If you have any additional concerns or questions, or see some information that may warrant a correction, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Please send communications to us via our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.