What are the most popular colleges
Why are they popular?
It depends on how you define popular. If you mean school which received the most applications then UCLA would be the most popular in 2015. I believe they received about 112,000 applications. One reason would be that they are in a great area in the most populous state. If on the other hand if you mean which college has the highest yield (students who matriculate/students accepted) then I believe Harvard takes that crown because …well they’re Harvard.
I think applications are a great way to judge popularity.
Are there any resources that total applications for undergraduate, masters, professional and doctorate programs per university?
That would be a quite interesting ranking.
US News. Not even kidding.
@okon2122 where does US News list the total applications for undergrad, grad, professional and doctoral?
harvard,yale etc…it is carved in stone they are the “best” for high achieving students needing validation.(are they…that is another story)
schools like Duke and Vanderbilt have been pushing up the popularity list for a long time because they have great reps and are “fun” too,.
I wish I understood the mechanism behind this phenomenon. and I wish more high school students tossed a much wider net in the search for colleges.
If Harvard was as popular as people make it to be, wouldn’t they collect double the applications they do from around the world?
Students vote with their applications each year. Not just for undergraduates but also for all types of graduate and professional degrees.
Do successful sports teams influence popularity?
Good weather?
Opportunities to become doctors, lawyers, mbas and other desirable careers?
How much is college popularity changing from generation to generation?
Statistics for admission are readily available… I am sure many students who would love to attend Harvard choose to save the application fee because they know they won’t be admitted. Of course we see many students out here who are intent on throwing that fee away because they have no chance. But some potential applicants are smart enough to know that they have no shot.
And yes, of course successful sports teams affect the popularity. Duke is a perfect example.
ClarinetDad16, no, they could be the most popular if “being the most popular” means that most students would accept an offer from that school if one were extended, but most student know not to apply because they don’t stand a chance. The most telling may be to group schools by the credentials required-then seeing which command the most applicants. But then you have geographic preferences. A school in a populated state may garner more applications than one in a less populous state. But the one in the less populous state may garner far more applications than any other school in that non populous-state, etc.
If you were to tell students they could attend any school they wanted without applying, I bet Harvard and Stanford would beat every other school.
Finally, believe it or not, some schools still don’t use the common ap. That means their applicants are self selected in a way not true for other schools. Having to complete an entirely different application is a major impediment for those who don’t feel they stand a shot or who would have just added a check had they been able to apply using the common app.
"Do successful sports teams influence popularity?
Good weather"
yes and yes.
Google “most popular colleges” and see how many entities want to you to click on a list based on their criteria, with a lot trying to quantify what has already been mentioned on this thread, 1) number who apply & 2) go to if accepted.
As for the palm715 ohana, we are throwing out all previous colleges lists and now trying exclusively for “most right swiped Tinder” schools. Thanks for the heads-up on how to cut through the clutter.
schools that are generous with financial aid are popular.
Most colleges only publish undergraduate applications rec’d. They don’t routinely publish grad and professional schools.
NYU seems to be every other person’s dream school
By one definition, popular schools can be considered to be those that kids want to go to because kids want to go to.
NYU is in NYC and for those who want to be in NYC it has a major draw. same school moved to Gary Indiana…same professors, classes etc…not so hot.(or at least not with the same type of student)
Most people feel that throwing away $70 to a school they know they won’t be admitted to is a complete waste. If Harvard’s app was free it would likely get many more applications, especially considering their essay is theoretically optional as I recall.
Size is a plus (more seats available)
Strong job placement
Good facilities
Popular programs (business, engineering)
Decent dorms (a/c is a plus)
Internship and co-op opportunities
Graduate programs
In or near a city
Greek life
Athletics
Fewer application essays
High graduation rates
Research opportunities
Brand recognition
Prestige
Factors that increase “popularity” to applicants:
- Available on Common App
- No Common App supplement
- Test optional or flexible policy
- Application fee waiver
- Marketing campaign (especially mailings)
- Need-blind and/or meets full financial need
- Merit scholarships
Other perceived factors that kids like:
- “hot” girls / guys
- nice dorms
- good food
- nice gym
- school spirit
- easy to get to
- weather
The median distance students go from home to college is less than 100 miles.
In many states, the college that enrolls the most students is the public flagship or one of the “directional” state universities. By these measurements, the most “popular” colleges are big, local, relatively inexpensive colleges.
Students at “top” private high schools presumably have above-average freedom of choice in selecting colleges. They have more money, they have higher test scores, and they probably get better guidance counseling than the average kid. Colleges that seem to capture relatively many matriculations from these high schools include the Ivies (all 8 of them), certain LACs (especially the NESCAC schools), Chicago, Duke, Georgetown, JHU, Michigan, MIT, Northwestern, NYU, Stanford, Tufts, USC, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, and WUSTL. Probably not coincidentally, these schools are highly ranked by US News.