i don't believe you have shown that how much students think they will learn doesn't play a role in their college choices. they choose based on the information t

i don't believe you have shown that how much students think they will learn doesn't play a role in their college choices. they choose based on the information they have available; the criteria you mentioned contribute to an idea of how effectively schools can teach students. alumni giving/financial resources, for example, allow schools to buy better faculty and equipment, which make students learn better. graduation and retention rates are evidence of a decent educational environment. sorry to directly contradict you on this, but i also don't believe this was your original point. you were trying to show that a degree serves mainly as a credential. students may select schools on the basis of their rankings, but it doesn't follow that the rankings are the motivation behind their selections. to use an analogy, i may use reviewer ratings to select a computer to purchase; it doesn't follow that i select brands _for_ the prestige of owning a computer rated 5 stars by cnet.