Why Rankings, Especially at “Round” Numbers Such as the Top 10, Top 25, or Top 50, are so Powerful
In an era of information overload and ad fatigue, curated lists from a trusted publisher are some of the most effective advertising techniques in use today.
Why? They can drastically simplify decision-making for consumers.
“The popularity of lists relates to their value in condensing information into manageable, bite-sized chunks,” wrote Mathew S. Isaac, Ph.D., the Thomas F. Gleed Chair of Business Administration at the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University.1 Dr. Isaac has done extensive research throughout his career on the power of lists in advertising; specifically, lists curated by third-parties, experts, and media outlets.
Research has shown that when faced with “choice overload,” consumers often experience decision paralysis. Rather than feeling like having many choices is a good thing, they instead feel anxious about making a “wrong” choice, and sometimes end up making no choice at all.2
Ranked lists act as a filter that reduces much of the energy required to make a decision, because the consumer assumes that careful, deliberate research went into creating the list in the first place. The easy-to-scan format of a list also allows consumers to switch their brains from “evaluation mode” to “selection mode.”
When consumers need to make important life decisions, such as choosing a hospital, a university, a car, a bank, and many other important life choices, it can therefore be a relief when a trusted publication narrows down their search from, for example, all the cars in the world to a list of the top 10 best cars for families. Ranked lists provide a starting point for research that is easy to understand, as well as short-hand indicators of quality at a glance.
However, when using ranked lists in their advertising, organizations should be aware that HOW they present the information can have a major impact on how consumers view it.
There are several pitfalls to avoid:
1. It’s generally better to list a ranking in commonly used “round” numbers, such as the Top 10, Top 25, or Top 50.
While it may be tempting to list the exact rank in a numerical list (for example, the 9th best place to work), Dr. Isaac’s research has found that consumers tend to overthink “unusual” numbers in ranked lists and sometimes draw negative conclusions. They might think, for example: “Well, if it was ranked number 9, that’s not as good as number 1 or number 2.”
Whereas, if an organization lists their organization as being one of the “Top 10” best places to work, consumers tend to view the “Top 10” as being a good thing without giving it much further thought.
2. Rank changes that cross common mental “thresholds,” such as the Top 10, Top 25, or Top 50, are very psychologically powerful.
When consumers learn about a change in rank, whether that change is by just one spot or several spots, they view that change very differently depending on whether the change in rank crossed a threshold into a “round” number, such as the Top 10, Top 25, or Top 50.
“When consumers process large lists of information (e.g., ‘Top 100 MBA Programs’), they naturally create mental thresholds or breakpoints at common ‘round’ numbers, like 10, 25, and 50,” wrote Dr. Isaac. “This means that a change in rank that entails crossing into the Top 10, the Top 25, or the Top 50 has a disproportionate and surprisingly powerful effect on evaluations and choices.”
For example: A change in rank from 11 to 10 may be viewed very positively, because now that organization is in the “Top 10.” Whereas, a change in rank from 10 to 9 may not come across as powerfully. Similarly, if an organization moves up from rank 26 to rank 24, it is now in the “Top 25,” and may therefore be viewed more favorably than a change in rank from rank 24 to 21, even though the latter change is larger and is ranked higher on the list.
It can therefore be very beneficial for organizations to emphasize their ranking on a list in terms of trusted “round” numbers, especially if their organization has crossed a threshold into one of these categories, or if they have remained in a “Top Round Number” category for many years.
3. Numerical lists work well for small lists, while percentages work well for large lists.
Dr. Isaac noted in his research that the same statistic framed in different ways has profoundly different effects on how consumers view it.
For example, in a list of the Top 50 products, if an item is advertised as being “one of the top 10 products” or “in the top 20%,” consumers view the former more positively, even though they mean exactly the same thing.
Conversely, in a larger list such as a list of 200 products, being one of the “Top 20” products is viewed less favorably than being one of the “top 10% most highly-rated” products, even though they also mean exactly the same thing.
“This effect occurs because consumers are prone to neglect the format in which information is received, relying too much on the rank’s numerical value,” Dr. Issac noted. “After all, in the domain of lists, 10 is usually better than 20.”
When advertising the quality of an organization or a product in a ranked list, the format of its presentation really matters.
The Importance of Honorable Reporting and Judicious Advertising
Given the profound psychological impact lists can have on consumer psychology, it is of the utmost importance that the information used in lists and rankings is created with honesty and a desire to share accurate and helpful information with readers. This is just one of the many reasons that editorial integrity is the gold standard of reporting for U.S. News rankings and ratings.
It is also of the utmost importance that organizations present information about their rankings judiciously to present themselves accurately but also in the best light.
To learn how organizations in your industry are using U.S. News badges to promote their award-winning programs, and to find out how you can use your award from U.S. News & World Report in your marketing, contact us. We have specialists in every award-winning category who can tailor a plan to your needs.
Editorial integrity is our highest priority. Purchase of a badge license will never affect our rankings of companies or award eligibility.
See also: Learn more about advertisements that consumers trust, and even welcome.
References
- Mathew S Isaac. What Creators and Consumers of Lists Need to Know | Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-things-numbered/202301/what-creators-and-consumers-of-lists-need-to-know. Accessed 27 Feb 2026.
- Schwartz, B. (2004). The paradox of choice: Why more is less. HarperCollins Publishers.
