rich-get-richer applied to college rankings

"Ready to roll up your sleeves and raise your college's U.S. News ranking? Adrian Bejan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University, has some advice: Don't bother." According to this article, the rich-get-richer model applies well to college rankings. The way it works seems simple: "Scholars in top-ranked programs are more widely cited, which keeps those programs at the top." That college rankings remain largely unchanged over the course of years does seem to conform to the general perception.