Data Analyst, Education -Washington, DC

U.S. News & World Report is a multifaceted digital media company dedicated to helping citizens, consumers, business leaders and policy officials make important decisions in their lives. We publish independent reporting, rankings, data journalism and advice that has earned the trust of our readers and users for nearly 90 years. Our platforms on usnews.com include Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, and News.

We reach more than millions of people monthly during moments when they are most in need of expert advice and motivated to act on that advice directly on our platforms. Our signature franchises include our “Best” series of consumer guides on colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, diets, cars, financial services and more.

These guides provide an easy-to-digest list for consumers to better understand and compare when making their decisions. We continue to publish annual guides of the authoritative Best Colleges and Best Hospitals rankings on our website and in print.

And our U.S. News Live flagship conferences which highlight important national conversations such as Healthcare of Tomorrow.We believe in having a broad range of talent and backgrounds at U.S. News. We strive to maintain a welcoming and inclusive workplace where everyone is given an opportunity to succeed and contribute to their fullest.

Your Role in Helping Us Shape the Future

As a Data Analyst on our Education team, you will be a guardian of the data integrity that defines our world-renowned rankings. You will work within a specialized, collaborative team to transform raw data into the insights that help millions of students and families make informed life decisions.

Your contributions will follow the academic data cycle

• Data Architecture & Logic: You will spend significant time developing, refining, and executing code to process complex datasets for our signature education rankings. You will eventually contribute to ongoing refinement and validation of ranking methodologies to ensure analytical defensibility and consistency year over year.
• Process Optimization & Automation: You will contribute to ongoing efforts to streamline data workflows, including automation of survey universe creation and improvements to production efficiency across ranking calculations and outputs.
• Quality Assurance: You will perform rigorous audits of peer-developed code, data inputs and programming outputs, ensuring every data point meets our standards for accuracy.
• Anomaly Detection & Validation: You will help enhance processes for identifying outliers, structural shifts, and unexpected model behavior, including exploring automated and AI-assisted methods for anomaly detection and validation.
• Collaborative Problem Solving: You will partner with our technical, product and editorial teams to assist with website and guidebook presentation of school rankings and data, methodologies, and editorial content.

Are You Up to the Challenge?

We are seeking a meticulous analyst who brings both technical proficiency and an evaluative mindset to our education research. To excel in this role, you should possess:

• Analytical Rigor: A keen eye for detail and the ability to maintain high levels of accuracy while managing large, complex datasets.
• Effective Communication: The skill to translate technical data findings into clear, actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders.
• A Commitment to Excellence: A proactive approach to identifying data inconsistencies and a dedication to the prestige of the U.S. News brand.
• An interest in Innovation: Valuing the opportunity to contribute to the development and evolution of ranking methodologies.