A lawsuit from the University of Southern California alleges that the school used misleading ratings to attract students

three University of Southern Californiaor USC, students sued the school and a publicly traded company for defrauding students by misleading US News and World Report’s ratings for the Rossier School of Education.

The lawsuit was filed by the National Student Legal Defense Network and Tycko & Zavareei LLP on behalf of three identified students and two other students who were defrauded, according to a press release.

File – This file photo shows the University Village area of ​​USC in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File/AP Images)

Earlier this year, USC came under intense scrutiny yet The university issued a report Describing how the dean of the Rossier College of Education directed principals to intentionally withhold information from U.S. News & World Report to improve its rating, the statement reads. “.”

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The plaintiffs allege that USC and 2U, Inc. They used “processed” US News ratings that reflect only one personal program, to entice students to enroll in the university’s online programs.

The statement stated that the only time USC appeared in a ranking of online education graduate programs was in 2013, when it ranked 44th.

The lawsuit alleges that the dean of the USC Rossier College of Education said an online doctoral degree program would cause the school to fall “like a rock” in the ratings for US news. But despite this information, USC and 2U continued to promote in-person rankings when they announced online programs through targeted online advertisements and other means, for prospective students to get more. Students enrolled in the online program.

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Publicly traded online program management company 2U took responsibility for recruiting the students, the lawsuit alleges, and “a large percentage of the tuition fees were paid.”

University officials have not commented on the matter, as they did not receive the official complaint until Tuesday.

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“It’s not hard to see the full line here — USC deliberately falsified data to inflate its rating in US news, and 2U used false numbers to inflate its earnings,” said Eric Rothschild, Director of Student Litigation. “The actions of USC and 2U have hurt countless students who thought this data would help them make an informed decision about enrollment. Instead, they have been lured into a profit-making scheme at the expense of their financial and educational futures.”

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