Claremont McKenna retains U.S. News ranking

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WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- A U.S. college that exaggerated freshman SAT scores and high school rankings will retain its U.S. News & World Report college ranking, the magazine said.

Claremont McKenna College in the Southern California town of Claremont will hold its position as the ninth-best liberal arts college in the United States in U.S. News' "Best Colleges" rankings, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The magazine had re-evaluated the college, using more accurate and reliable statistics provided by a law firm the 1,320-student college hired to investigate the scandal.

The firm found the college's vice president for admission and financial aid, Richard Vos, acted alone in exaggerating aggregate freshmen SAT scores and other statistics.

The exaggerated SAT scores and high school rankings were not inflated enough to push the college lower in the rankings, Robert J. Morse, the magazine's director of data research, said in an interview.

"Our calculation shows that based on the data now being reported by Claremont McKenna as correct, Claremont McKenna College's ranking will not change," U.S. News Editor Brian Kelly said in a statement.

"While we are pleased that U.S. News will not change our ranking, Claremont McKenna College continues to focus on our academic mission and on fulfilling our obligation to integrity and responsible leadership," Claremont spokesman Max Benavidez said in a statement.