<p><a href=“I%20chose%20UNH%20in%20particular%20because%20they%20publish%20detailed%20statistics%20about%20their%20student%20body.”>QUOTE=b@r!um</a> If all programs with fewer than 50 majors per year were considered under-enrolled, then the following majors are in danger of getting cut:</p>
<ul>
<li>all sciences except biology
[/QUOTE]
</li>
</ul>
<p>Which is interesting because biology is probably an expensive major to teach, since it involves a lot of lab courses, which are more expensive than courses which are just lecture and discussion. Yet, from the point of view of a state university (where in-state students’ tuition is subsidized on the idea that better educated students are good for the economy and return their tuition costs many times over later in tax payments based on their increased earnings), biology majors who do not go to medical school (most do not get in) have a poor return on investment, since their job and career prospects are not very good.</p>
<p>Indeed, one way a state university could improve its return on investment is by limiting enrollment in organic chemistry and general biology courses to students with a 3.5 GPA in general chemistry prerequisite course(s). I.e. basically screen out the pre-meds who have no chance of getting into medical school from futilely taking additional expensive lab courses.</p>