Harvard Tops the Most Popular Colleges List

Harvard University tops this year's list of most popular colleges, according to an exclusive analysis by U.S.News & World Report. Among the students fortunate enough to be admitted to the highly selective university in Cambridge, Mass., 79 percent chose to enroll there, the highest number among national universities. This enrollment percentage, which admissions officials refer to as yield, can have an impact on everything from crowded dorms and the mix of men and women on campus to the price of tuition.

Harvard University campus.

Many of the universities at the top of the popularity list not surprisingly are highly selective, private colleges, but several public universities did quite well, too. The University of Nebraska ranked third, while Florida, Texas A&M University, the University of North Carolina, Louisiana State University, and Texas also broke into the top 20. "Students tend to stay pretty close to home, and they're looking to better themselves financially," says David Hawkins, director of public policy and research for the National Association for College Admission Counseling. The combination of affordable tuition and athletic success appears to be a powerful lure for college hopefuls.

But students also seem to be drawn by deeper devotions. Universities with religious affiliations—Brigham Young, Yeshiva, and Notre Dame—do well in this enrollment analysis. Equally successful are the nation's top military academies. The United States Naval Academy tops the liberal arts colleges list for the highest overall yield of any college or university in the rankings, with 85 percent of admitted students choosing to enroll. Its rival, the United States Military Academy, comes in second on the liberal arts colleges list, with 78 percent.

• More on America's Best Colleges.
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