College rankings are ever-changing and, in a way, subjective. There are many criteria that a list maker will use to determine a college’s ranking, but no two list makers will use the exact same criteria or interpret the data the same.
Common criteria used to rank colleges (Christian and secular alike) are academic performance, student retention and graduation rates, post-graduation debt, financial resources/value, faculty performance, campus life, and graduate success. It should be noted that even though many list makers will use some of the same criteria, they will almost certainly have different colleges ranked in their lists.
The data that is collected for the rankings is never going to be perfect or without bias and/or flaws. There are some things that will not be accounted for in the criteria used, and not every list will reflect the values that you may be looking for in their college rankings. Data is often collected through student/faculty surveys and “customer” ratings of the college.
Be sure to check what criteria is used by each list maker when ranking Christian colleges and consider what sort of weight each category is given. These lists can be helpful in finding good Christian colleges, checking the effectiveness of a school’s education, confirming student happiness, and so on. However, potential students should not take a ranking to be the entire worth of a school. Prioritize a college’s “fit” for you over the ranking it has on a list.