By Kareem Carr
At various stages in the academic life cycle, for instance at the undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral level, we find ourselves trying to make a decision about which academic institutions to apply to and which academic institutions we should ultimately attend or take a job at. Various ranking systems of universities feature prominently in decision making. Although, not specifically directed to mathematics students, the consumer affairs blog, The Consumerist, takes a tough look at college rankings. The Consumerist also links to an analysis of colleges by return on investment done by Payscale Inc.