Writing on the Chronicle’s Innovations blog, Richard Kahlenberg observes that several prominent flagship state universities don’t rank as highly as they used to. The reason is that they are getting somewhat less government funding than previously and the US News rankings depend mainly on the level of inputs. “Shouldn’t UVa, in its plea to the Virginia state legislature for funding, cite the fact that past cuts have caused the flagship to decline from 18 to 25? Shouldn’t a fall in rankings be used as an instrument and argument to forestall further cuts?” he asks.

If I were a legislator confronted with that argument, I would reply by asking, “Is there any evidence that students are learning less than they used to because of the decline in state funding? And is there any reason to believe that they would learn more if we increased it?”