The University and College Accountability Network (U-CAN) Web site was recently created as an additional option besides the U.S. News ‘ World Report system of college rankings, to help prospective students search for colleges and universities.
Created and managed by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), U-CAN, ucan-network.org, provides statistical information for over 600 private colleges and universities in a comprehensive, easy-to-read format.
Statistics are shown using graphs and charts, along with narrative descriptions and subject-specific links that bring users directly to the college’s Web site. Unlike the U.S. News ‘ World Report, U-CAN does not actually rank colleges, rather it is meant to be used as a way to simply provide information to prospective students and parents from a single location.
According to the Web site, U-CAN is the first consumer information tool developed by colleges and universities themselves.
“Selecting the right college is a challenging process and a significant investment,” said University President Fr. Jeffrey von Arx in a press release.
“Fairfield University is committed to providing detailed, easily accessible and reliable information for our prospective students and their families,” he said.
The Web site costs nothing to use, and does not require users to log in. Participating institutions must follow certain guidelines to ensure that the data provided is accurate and consistent.
Information about facts such as loans, class sizes and net tuition is collected from the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS survey and the Common Data Set.
Normally difficult to understand, U-CAN takes these statistics and displays them in a context that is easier to digest.
“It doesn’t look much different from other college Web sites, although it is a little easier to read,” said Kristin Brown ’10. “But while other sites like the U.S. News ‘ World Report focus more on academics, this looks at all the other things.”
Now that the Web site is up and running, how students and parents evaluate the information that is provided will determine if it can compete with other college ranking sites, such as The Princeton Review and U.S. News ‘ World Report.
According to von Arx, however, the Web site will be a “valuable new tool and information source.”
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