Originally Posted by Dude
School grades just came out, and DD's previous institution earned a D. Greatschools.com gives it 4 stars. They feature only one user comment since 2009.
You raise a good point, no one source of data should be taken as definitive. For example, data may be old, institutions may be reluctant to share negative reviews out of concern for possible legal consequences, etc. Yet on balance the data you have found may raise a red flag, and encourage parents to visit the articles on choosing schools (what to observe, what to ask, what might be a good fit).