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Brigham Young University Is Nation's Most Popular National University

March 5, 2010 RSS Feed Print

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This year, Brigham Young University supplanted Harvard University as the most popular national university in America, according to an analysis of yield (the percentage of students accepted to a school who opt to attend) by U.S.News & World Report. For BYU, ranked 71st in U.S. News's ranking of the nation's best national universities, 78 percent of students who were accepted chose to attend. Harvard finished a close second, with 76 percent of accepted students opting to attend the nation's most selective university.

Three distinct groups of the national universities produced the highest yield:

1. Ivy League and other highly selective private schools, which dominate the list because their high academic standing makes them desirable for applicants. Of the top 10 most popular universities, seven schools are also top 10 national universities: Harvard, Stanford University , Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and Princeton University.

2. Large state schools not renowned for their elite academics but popular destinations in their region thanks to their size and the prominence of their athletic programs. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln, ranking fourth in popularity, and the University of Florida, ranking 11th, are archetypes of this category.

3. Schools with religious ties. Yeshiva University, a predominantly Jewish institution, ranked sixth in popularity.

U.S. News ranked not only national universities but liberal arts schools and service academies as well. Consistent with last year's results, military academies got the most yeses from students. The United States Naval Academy topped the list again this year, with an 83 percent yield, followed closely by the United States Military Academy, with 79 percent. Thomas Aquinas College proved to be the most popular nonmilitary liberal arts college, as 68 percent of students accepted their invitations to attend.

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Tags:: colleges,; Brigham Young University,; rankings

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I am from Utah and I find your analysis is highly flawed. To base popularity on percentage of those accepted who decide to attend is statistically interesting but misleading. Brigham Young is owned, managed, run and educated primarily those of the Mormon belief system. If you are Mormon, apply to BYU and are accepted then of course that is where you will attend.
The university with more applications than any other in the World is the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). And it was only founded in 1919. Quite an achievement for any institution.

Russell M.A. Blumenthal 6:44AM October 02, 2011

This is seriously flawed statistically, as well as a fallacy.
Statistically speaking, there are several unaccounted for variables that could lend to the trend not voiced. Such as being a religious school, the applicants are well aware of what they are looking at. So those who choose to apply, actually are considering in real terms going there. For example, I am not Mormon, and socially liberal, therefor I know I would not be accepted "even" if I wanted to go, ergo I don't bother to even apply. People often apply to Harvard under similar pretense of educational prestige, AND know they need to fork 40+K annually to do so. Where someone moderate might apply to several schools on neither those extremes and choose something more middle of the road. Like U of U, Texas A&M, CU-Boulder or even Weber.
Fallacy wise, it's assumed that because BYU had actual enrollments of potentials at the highest, it's an automatic jump to assume it's popularity, and by extension preference. Which, likely is not the case. Those who applied had a preference to go there solely. Likely they did not apply anywhere else, or in short numbers. Not to mention the loaded word of preference, and its ill use in this context.
The only thing those report says, is of the students who are considering an education BYU represented the best overall for their preference. No other school could have provided to them what they chose BYU for. Religious experience, cost, location, credentials. I am not aware of any other Mormon school. So the pickings of those are slim. If only Mormons or similiar apply to a religious school, there are only a handful across the country to choose from.

Kristine of UT 11:29AM June 17, 2011