The professional networking site LinkedIn has developed a university ranking system “based on career outcomes” of college graduates that use the site.
The “LinkedIn University rankings” evaluate colleges based on the success of graduates in eight different career categories, while also factoring in the desirability of certain jobs. For each respective career category, the site — which has 313 million users — enumerates 25 top schools.
The eight categories, spanning a wide variety of job paths, include accounting professionals, designers, finance professionals, investment bankers, marketers, media professionals, software developers, and software developers at startups.
“By analyzing employment patterns of over 300 million LinkedIn members from around the world, we figured out what the desirable jobs are within several professions and which graduates get those desirable jobs,” reads the site’s written statement regarding the rankings. “As a result, we are able to rank schools based on the career outcomes of their graduates.”
LinkedIn defines a “desirable job” as one that is found at a “desirable company for the relevant profession.”
Interestingly enough, Washington Monthly recently discussed its ideal college rating system while also evaluating a similar system proposed by the Obama administration.
Unfortunately, the Obama rating system will not be in place until at least the 2015 school year.
H/T Inside Higher Ed
