11. Cal Tech Is the Best University in the World (by One Ranking, at Least)

Matt Phillips, a reporter at Quartz, writes about a ranking made by Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In it, Cal Tech is placed at first place, while surpassing the other top 5, Oxford, Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. Phillips explains that there are 5 criteria areas from which the rankings are based, Teaching, Research, Citations, Industry Income, and International Outlook. The author comments that US dominates the list, having 77 schools in the top 200 and 7 in the top 10. However, different rankings are based on different criteria. Such example is the Guardian ranking, placing MIT at first. Phillips then explains that the US is losing foreign students who are seeking cheaper offers in other countries. South Koreans are going to Tsinghua and Peking University, Chinese universities that have ranked high in the Times rankings among the American universities, but that charge less. The author warns that the US should be aware of this phenomenon. 

In this particular essay, the author is very effective in his writing. First of all, Phillips talks about the Times rankings. He does a good job of citing his sources and using quotes from the Times research to show the reader that his information is reliable. His tone, writing style, and word choice suggest that his audience is mainly young adults or adults who are interested in college or even attending one. His purpose is to inform the reader of the university rankings. The writer also used a very clever title for his essay. It starts off by saying that Cal Tech is the best university in the world. However, it creates a twist by adding that this is only based on a single ranking. This ties in to the essay in itself, because the essay does not talk exclusively on Cal Tech’s ranking. It mentions how each ranking's criteria is different and different universities will be ranked first in the list. Phillips also uses humor to end his essay with a clever comment that causes the reader to reflect about the topic. He says “US schools may need to pare back on all those Olympic-sized swimming pools and gourmet meals to stay globally competitive.” This relates to what he said about Chinese universities becoming a more popular choice for students. His ending statement is a remark concerning American universities’ main concern with expert sports programs and high quality of life, instead of what should really be emphasized, academics.

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/cal-tech-is-the-best-university-in-the-world-by-one-ranking-at-least/280235/