In a notable shift from previous years, Arizona State University (ASU) has experienced a significant decline in its ranking among the nation's colleges. According to a report published by The Phoenix New Times, ASU now sits at No. 252 in The Wall Street Journal's list of the 500 best colleges in the country, falling 180 spots since last year.

The assessment, released on September 4, has expanded its scope this year, increasing the number of ranked schools from 400 to 500. This shift highlights further to just how far behind ASU has fallen. Metrics used to determine these rankings focus primarily on salary outcomes, including salary impact and years to pay off-net education cost (70%), but also take into account the learning environment (20%) and diversity (10%).

Another school affected by the shift in rankings is the University of Arizona, which according to Ground News, plummeted a similar 169 spots to place 279th this year. This descent comes at a time when the institution has just welcomed a new president amid grappling with a $240 million budget shortfall.

Meanwhile, Northern Arizona University (NAU) barely clung onto the list, securing the No. 441 spot. This represents a notable drop from the previous year's ranking of No. 329. This was especially pronounced given that the 2023 rankings featured only 400 spots, distinctly underscoring NAU's challenges in maintaining their graduation and salary impact scores.

The Journal's new findings are starkly contrasted by the achievements of the best colleges in the country, with New Jersey's Princeton University, Babson College in Massachusetts, and Stanford University in California leading the pack. For ASU, although it may still claim the title of No. 1 in innovation from the U.S. News & World Report, the latest rankings from The Wall Street Journal suggest a much-needed reassessment of their institutional efficacy.