More high school students are choosing colleges based on their rankings than ever before, though many students don't depend on the numbers, according to a new report.

Many high school students are using sources like U.S. News' "America's Best Colleges" and The Princeton Review's "Best Colleges" guidebook, according to a report by UCLA's Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP).

However, the importance of ranking numbers isn't very high. The report found that in 2006, 16.4 percent of incoming students reported that rankings were very important in their college decision, an increase from 1995's 10.5 percent.

Titled The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 2006, the report was prepared by six staff members of the CIRP and included surveys of 271,441 first-time, full-time students at 393 of the nation's baccalaureate colleges and universities.

John Pryor, director of CIRP, said college rankings were more important for more affluent Hispanic, Black and Asian students and those who have a family income greater than $100,000.

Robert Reason, Penn State associate professor of education and research associate for the Center for the Study of Higher Education, said his research also showed that college rankings may not be as significant as many people might think they are. He added financial aid concerns and available majors might matter more.

"Rankings are a lazy way to really research a school," he said. "If you trust all the opinions of those who make the rankings, it is nice information. But it really matters much less where you go than what you do once you get there."

The UCLA report showed more significant reasons for choosing a college. Academic reputation was very important to 57.4 percent of the students, and 49.3 percent said they chose colleges based on their graduates' abilities to get good jobs. Size drove 38.9 percent to choose a specific college.

According to U.S. News' America's Best Colleges 2007, Penn State is ranked 47th nationally, and 60 percent of Penn State graduates are expected to get jobs within six months of graduation.