Colorado Technical University - "First tier", "second tier", "third tier", "fourth tier" postsecondary institution? What are these actually..?

"First tier", "second tier", "third tier", "fourth tier" postsecondary institution? What are these actually..?

I just read that in Wikipedia about Florida International: "The U.S. News and World Report currently ranks FIU as a fourth tier postsecondary institution in the National Universities category." Well, I am bit unfamiliar with the American higher education system. Could anybody enlighten me more about these whole "tier" system? Officially, which colleges are in the first tier? Then the second, the third, and the fourth? Is there any such thing like fifth tier, sixth tier, and so on? What actually differs those colleges? Between the different "tier"?

Public Comments

I think it's all BS. It's for the colleges to feel good about themselves. When making the big college decision, go with where you're going to fit in BEST, NOT where Newsweek thinks is a 'Top Tier' school. Learn about college from actual college students rather than a bland magazine. Check out yollege. http://www.yollege.com