<h1>Risks of Annual School Rankings: defamation, consumer protection, disclosure, data privacy, conflicts of interest, and right to reply</h1> A national education publisher, in association with a private research firm, released annual school rankings based on a large-field survey and introduced a new 'Ivy League' category with star gradations for consistently top-ranked institutions. The methodology and disclosures emphasize sample size, parameters and structured interviews. Legal issues to note include potential defamation or trade libel claims if rankings are inaccurate or misleading; obligations under consumer protection and advertising law to ensure methodological transparency; conflicts of interest or disclosure duties if financial relationships exist; data-protection considerations for survey respondents; and the need for fair process and right-to-reply for ranked institutions. Clear disclaimers and robust documentation of methodology reduce legal risk.