That is a US News survey of American colleges. The article was primarily about a different survey of international universities by (London) Times Higher Education.
The international survey seems to me to have more to do with scientific research and the accomplishments of faculty and graduates, while the US News survey takes other factors into account, like the undergraduate experience and the reputation of a school among educational professionals.
Go here for the international survey results:
Thank you. Why did they link to a different survey from the article? Weird.
Funny how Yale has fallen so much in recent years in the survey you properly posted.