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American Parents – It is time to take the help of consumer guides to choose colleges for your kids
Over the years, a number of university ranking systems have been in place. These rankings systems rate colleges and universities across the country on the basis of different aspects.

It was through these ranking systems that parents and students shortlisted some of the top colleges. These colleges were shortlisted not only on the basis of the quality of education they offer, but also on the annual tuition fee and location.

Unfortunately, the ranking systems have not been doing a great job in our country in the past few years. This has a lot to do with depleting quality of higher education. As the tuition fees continue to rise drastically, the entire system faces a number of issues.

It is becoming very difficult for ranking systems to keep track of colleges and their performance. Infact, a number of ranking systems have crashed due to this very reason. Today, America has got three genuine college ranking systems in place. College Miner, Alumni Factor and Washington Monthly are authentic sources that provide the best information regarding different colleges in the country.

The problem with rating systems at the moment is that they are not conveying enough to the parents. Hence, neither are the parents nor are the students being able to take a decision with regard to the college they would like to attend.

Our current higher education situation is not very encouraging what with various issues it faces. Now is the time to come up with a system that offers in-depth analysis of different colleges and higher education institutes. The last thing any student wants at the moment is to join a college which is probably not the best for him/her.

Ideally, there should be an institute exclusively to rate higher educational institutes on the basis of different aspects. This way, there will be a governing body which will scan through different factors and developments of a college on a constant basis. This will automatically put all universities and colleges on their toes.

Today, a number of colleges have been criticized for increasing their tuition fees to an extent where many feel that it is not necessary. Most of the colleges are stating that this step has been taken to provide top-notch education to its students. The question is whether all colleges that increase their fees actually enhance the quality of education or not?

By keeping a track of consumer guide, the institute would automatically put pressure on colleges that seem to be increasing their tuition fee with not much relevance. This will further help to solve the higher education scenario in a successful manner.

Colleges and universities will be answerable to the people of the country. They will have to justify the increase in their tuition fee. This will bring in the ‘value for money’ aspect into the field of education as well. This solution seems to be an ideal one in the current circumstances and should be executed right away.