Temple pays $5.5M to settle lawsuit over U.S. News ranking inflation - James Paterson, Education Dive

Temple University has agreed to pay nearly $5.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit with students in its Fox School of Business who said the university provided inflated data to U.S. News & World Report's popular college ranking. The lawsuit alleged Temple claimed its entire incoming class for its online MBA program submitted a Graduate Management Admission Test score when only one-fifth of students actually did, leading to inflated average test scores and a higher spot in the ranking. U.S. News removed Temple's program from the ranking as a result. The plaintiffs said the scandal "will have a long reaching negative impact on [the] school's reputation, prestige and peer ratings." Temple will pay $4 million to students enrolled in its online MBA program between 2015 and 2018 and an additional $1,475,000 to students who attended six other programs within its business school over the same period. It also will establish a $5,000 scholarship in business ethics. ​ https://www.educationdive.com/news/temple-pays-55m-to-settle-lawsuit-over-us-news-ranking-inflation/545474/