<p>Ivy = elite LAC = elite private research university > everything else in graduate admissions from what I’ve seen, including the great state schools (which always struck me as strange). Your data pool is for JD and MD and MBA, which is a somewhat awkward data pool. MBA should be on its own, as the major prerequisite for gaining admission to an MBA program is not GRE/GMAT scores (they certainly play a role) or undergraduate record–but work experience, and the quality of work experience. Data on the industry the average accepted MBA comes from would be more useful, although that’s published by most schools and it’s pretty much what you’d guess (finance, consulting, general management, technology in a business setting are normally 80%+ from everything I’ve seen). JD and MD are closer to more normal doctoral programs, especially JD, although they’re obviously geared towards some other things.</p>
<p>Reed has a [url=<a href=“http://web.reed.edu/ir/phd.html]page[/url”>Doctoral Degree Productivity - Institutional Research - Reed College]page[/url</a>] about PhD productivity, although it’s skewed to make them look better you’ll see how highly populated the list is by LACs, Ivies and private research universities.</p>
<p>Anyway, if nothing else this should make you feel better. Bolded are LACs.</p>
<p>2005-06 HEDS Weighted Baccalaureate Origins Study
Top 20 Institutions: Ph.D. Productivity
Relative to Institutional Size, 1995-2004
California Institute of Technology… # 1
Harvey Mudd College… # 2
Swarthmore College … # 3
Reed College… # 4
Massachusetts Institute of Technology… # 5
Carleton College… # 6
Oberlin College … # 7
Bryn Mawr College… # 8
University of Chicago… # 9
Grinnell College … # 10
Yale University… # 11
Princeton University… # 12
Haverford College… # 13
Pomona College … # 14
Rice University … # 15
Amherst College… # 16
Harvard University … # 17
St John’s College (Annapolis, MD)… # 18
Williams College … # 19
Cleveland Institute of Music … # 20</p>