Chronicle List

Small Private Liberal-Arts Colleges With the Highest Yields

By Chronicle Staff

October 27, 2019

Colleges covet high yields — the percentage of admitted students who enroll — as a sign that they will meet tuition-revenue goals and do well in college rankings. As American society debates the value of a liberal-arts education, small private liberal-arts colleges may see high yields as a way to enhance their reputations and attract more highly qualified applicants. Liberal-arts colleges saw the total number of applicants grow more than 42 percent from the admissions cycle for the fall of 2007 to that for the fall of 2017. Although the total number of first-time college students who enrolled in those institutions dropped slightly over that period, and the yield dropped by nine percentage points, 22 of the 200 colleges under consideration not only accepted a smaller percentage of applicants in 2017 than in 2007 but also had higher numbers of first-time college students who enrolled, and higher yields.

We're sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network.

Please allow access to our site, and then refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, please contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

Rank	Institution	Total applicants for fall 2017 admissions	Percentage change in number of applicants, 2007 to 2017	Acceptance rate for fall 2017	Percentage-point difference in acceptance rate, 2007 to 2017	First-time students enrolled, 2017	Percentage change in number of first-time students enrolled, 2007 to 2017	Yield, fall 2017	Percentage-point difference in yield, 2007 to 2017
1.	Bard College at Simon’s Rock	348	4.5%	66.1%	-22.8	171	-7.6%	74.3%	11.8
2.	Berea College	1,710	-17.9%	35.1%	6.4	432	2.6%	72.0%	1.5
3.	Thomas Aquinas College	192	-13.5%	71.9%	12.0	90	-11.8%	65.2%	-11.5
4.	Southern Virginia U.	926	-43.7%	56.2%	13.4	331	40.9%	63.7%	30.3
5.	Soka U. of America	489	29.4%	37.2%	-16.5	107	5.9%	58.8%	9.0
6.	Pomona College	9,045	53.1%	8.4%	-8.0	412	9.9%	54.5%	15.6
7.	Claremont McKenna College	6,349	53.4%	10.4%	-5.8	352	31.3%	53.5%	13.6
8.	Wesleyan College (Ga.)	309	-36.4%	46.6%	-5.9	74	-36.2%	51.4%	5.9
9.	Bowdoin College	7,251	21.6%	13.6%	-5.3	501	5.3%	50.7%	8.6
10.	Barnard College	7,716	68.7%	15.4%	-13.3	603	7.9%	50.7%	8.2
11.	Wellesley College	5,666	41.1%	22.1%	-13.6	605	2.5%	48.4%	7.2
12.	Bryn Athyn College of the New Church	241	308.5%	87.6%	-9.1	97	106.4%	46.0%	-36.5
13.	Davidson College	5,673	39.0%	20.2%	-8.0	519	7.5%	45.2%	3.3
14.	Bethany Lutheran College	388	-4.0%	79.1%	-4.0	136	-22.3%	44.3%	-7.8
15.	Williams College	8,593	43.2%	14.6%	-4.5	548	2.6%	43.7%	-2.9
16.	Colorado College	8,223	69.4%	15.1%	-16.6	544	3.8%	43.7%	9.7
17.	Pitzer College	3,753	0.1%	16.2%	-10.0	262	7.8%	43.1%	18.4
18.	Sterling College (Vt.)	70	-27.8%	94.3%	18.0	28	-6.7%	42.4%	1.9
19.	Bates College	5,316	19.9%	21.9%	-7.7	494	11.8%	42.4%	8.7
20.	Middlebury College	8,909	43.6%	17.1%	-4.5	635	12.8%	41.7%	-0.4
21.	Wheaton College (Ill.)	1,693	-21.6%	85.0%	29.8	580	-0.5%	40.3%	-8.6
22.	Covenant College	692	-27.2%	95.2%	30.6	263	-14.3%	39.9%	-10.0
23.	Haverford College	4,408	26.2%	20.1%	-5.1	349	10.8%	39.5%	3.6
24.	Amherst College	9,285	39.0%	12.9%	-4.7	471	-0.6%	39.3%	-1.0
25.	Washington and Lee U.	5,455	46.7%	22.0%	-5.4	471	1.9%	39.3%	-6.1
26.	Swarthmore College	9,382	79.0%	10.7%	-7.0	392	7.4%	39.0%	-0.2
27.	Carleton College	6,499	33.8%	21.2%	-8.8	522	2.6%	37.9%	3.0
28.	Wesleyan U. (Conn.)	12,360	70.7%	16.3%	-11.5	761	5.7%	37.8%	2.0
29.	Ouachita Baptist U.	1,786	39.2%	70.9%	2.0	468	27.5%	36.9%	-4.5
30.	Smith College	5,432	63.2%	31.9%	-20.0	639	-3.0%	36.9%	-1.3
31.	Harvey Mudd College	4,078	63.6%	15.4%	-12.7	225	14.8%	35.8%	7.8
32.	Houghton College	821	-18.3%	91.4%	7.5	268	1.1%	35.7%	4.3
33.	Saint John’s U. (Minn.)	1,639	17.1%	80.2%	0.0	469	-8.9%	35.7%	-10.2
34.	Morehouse College	2,349	-0.8%	74.4%	15.4	617	-8.2%	35.3%	-12.7
35.	Hamilton College (N.Y.)	5,678	14.4%	24.2%	-3.5	480	2.6%	34.9%	0.9
36.	Scripps College	2,841	44.3%	33.4%	-9.5	327	44.1%	34.5%	7.6
37.	Vassar College	7,746	27.5%	23.8%	-6.3	624	-6.9%	33.9%	-2.8
38.	Centenary College of Louisiana	848	-24.6%	61.8%	-0.1	173	-13.1%	33.0%	4.4
39.	Meredith College	1,737	26.1%	68.9%	-7.8	395	-14.9%	33.0%	-10.9
40.	College of Saint Benedict	2,003	29.7%	80.6%	-1.1	524	-2.4%	32.5%	-10.1
41.	St. John’s College (N.M.)	342	-0.3%	63.2%	-15.6	70	-47.8%	32.4%	-17.2
42.	Young Harris College	1,575	12.3%	52.5%	-8.8	268	-26.0%	32.4%	-9.7
43.	Colgate U.	8,542	-2.5%	28.1%	19.6	771	3.5%	32.1%	-67.8
44.	Bryn Mawr College	2,936	39.4%	38.0%	-7.5	354	0.6%	31.7%	-5.0
45.	Pine Manor College	588	0.5%	51.2%	-18.7	95	-32.6%	31.6%	-2.9
46.	Schreiner U.	1,178	29.7%	92.4%	32.6	341	28.7%	31.3%	-17.5
47.	Colby College	11,190	139.2%	15.8%	-16.0	552	18.2%	31.2%	-0.1
48.	College of the Holy Cross	6,622	-6.3%	39.6%	6.6	819	13.9%	31.2%	0.4
49.	LaGrange College	1,545	15.5%	56.9%	-0.4	274	24.0%	31.2%	2.3
50.	St. Olaf College	5,949	46.6%	43.2%	-11.2	786	4.7%	30.6%	-3.4
51.	Bucknell U.	10,253	14.6%	31.1%	1.2	973	9.7%	30.5%	-2.7
52.	Mount Holyoke College	3,446	7.9%	50.8%	-1.5	529	3.3%	30.2%	-0.4
53.	St. John’s College (Md.)	753	70.7%	54.4%	-26.3	122	-14.7%	29.8%	-10.4
54.	Saint Vincent College	2,490	34.1%	61.9%	0.2	456	7.8%	29.6%	-7.3
55.	American Jewish U.	41	-55.9%	82.9%	0.1	10	-67.7%	29.4%	-10.8
56.	Erskine College	1,227	40.4%	54.5%	-11.0	195	18.9%	29.1%	0.5
57.	Hendrix College	1,465	10.7%	79.8%	-2.9	338	-8.9%	28.9%	-5.0
58.	Simpson College (Iowa)	1,245	-7.5%	83.9%	-3.8	298	-22.6%	28.5%	-4.1
59.	College of the Atlantic	474	36.6%	67.9%	0.2	91	8.3%	28.3%	-7.5
60.	Wabash College	1,304	-8.1%	63.0%	15.7	232	-7.2%	28.3%	-9.1
61.	Trinity College (Conn.)	6,085	2.3%	33.9%	-0.4	580	0.7%	28.1%	-0.1
62.	Franklin & Marshall College	6,720	33.9%	34.1%	-3.2	645	13.2%	28.1%	-2.3
63.	Oberlin College	7,762	10.7%	33.7%	2.4	728	-2.3%	27.8%	-6.2
64.	Salem College	1,045	148.8%	56.8%	-12.0	163	34.7%	27.4%	-14.4
65.	Bennington College	1,465	44.8%	56.6%	-6.0	225	10.3%	27.1%	-5.1
66.	Virginia Wesleyan U.	2,231	47.6%	69.9%	-20.5	423	16.5%	27.1%	0.6
67.	Skidmore College	10,053	51.1%	24.5%	-14.2	661	-1.6%	26.8%	0.7
68.	Oglethorpe U.	2,159	76.4%	58.0%	-21.9	334	64.5%	26.7%	5.9
69.	Ave Maria U.	2,526	334.0%	42.1%	8.1	283	51.3%	26.6%	-67.8
70.	Grinnell College	5,850	88.5%	28.9%	-16.3	447	10.4%	26.5%	-2.4
71.	Judson College (Ala.)	497	60.8%	50.7%	-29.6	66	-17.5%	26.2%	-6.1
72.	Lafayette College	8,469	33.1%	30.8%	-4.1	680	14.5%	26.1%	-0.6
73.	William Jewell College	1,644	1.8%	47.6%	-46.5	198	-41.1%	25.3%	3.2
74.	Saint Mary’s College (Ind.)	1,830	42.9%	78.3%	-3.0	362	-24.4%	25.3%	-20.7
75.	Muhlenberg College	4,636	-1.4%	48.4%	11.2	564	2.4%	25.2%	-6.3
76.	Bethel College (Kan.)	886	148.2%	55.8%	-19.0	124	19.2%	25.1%	-13.9
77.	Agnes Scott College	1,534	-3.8%	65.6%	20.4	251	15.1%	25.0%	-5.3
78.	Marlboro College	121	-72.5%	96.7%	34.6	29	-67.8%	24.8%	-8.2
79.	Davis & Elkins College	2,295	497.7%	41.6%	-26.6	236	95.0%	24.7%	-21.5
80.	Gettysburg College	6,384	4.2%	45.8%	10.2	720	3.6%	24.6%	-7.3
81.	St. Lawrence U.	5,866	26.3%	48.3%	4.6	698	11.1%	24.6%	-6.3
82.	Emory & Henry College	1,426	-2.0%	72.2%	0.2	253	-1.6%	24.6%	0.0
83.	U. of Richmond	10,013	50.5%	33.0%	-7.0	801	-0.1%	24.3%	-5.9
84.	Hope College	4,377	59.3%	73.6%	-9.2	779	-4.9%	24.2%	-11.8
85.	Kenyon College	5,603	21.1%	33.8%	4.6	453	-1.1%	23.9%	-10.0
86.	Sweet Briar College	361	-41.7%	92.8%	11.4	79	-60.9%	23.6%	-16.5
87.	Furman U.	5,002	28.7%	61.2%	5.7	702	2.2%	22.9%	-8.9
88.	Westmont College	1,818	10.1%	84.7%	11.5	353	-9.3%	22.9%	-9.3
89.	Lycoming College	1,924	21.4%	64.0%	-13.9	282	-29.3%	22.9%	-9.4
90.	Union College (N.Y.)	6,676	38.0%	37.4%	-5.9	570	1.8%	22.8%	-3.9
91.	Sewanee: The U. of the South	4,218	74.0%	46.7%	-16.9	448	11.4%	22.7%	-3.3
92.	Macalester College	5,900	18.8%	40.6%	0.0	543	12.0%	22.7%	-1.4
93.	Hobart and William Smith Colleges	4,407	5.5%	63.9%	9.6	634	5.5%	22.5%	-4.0
94.	Hampshire College	2,305	-6.1%	62.8%	6.3	325	-19.4%	22.4%	-6.6
95.	Birmingham-Southern College	2,559	12.1%	61.9%	-4.1	349	-22.4%	22.0%	-7.9
96.	Denison U.	7,540	45.1%	37.2%	-1.9	617	5.3%	22.0%	-6.9
97.	William Peace U.	1,569	111.2%	59.1%	-15.6	203	6.3%	21.9%	-12.5
98.	Maryville College	2,791	76.2%	49.3%	-26.7	301	-5.0%	21.9%	-4.5
99.	Connecticut College	5,434	27.0%	38.0%	0.0	444	-9.6%	21.5%	-8.7
100.	Centre College	2,454	13.7%	76.3%	15.6	401	26.9%	21.4%	-2.7
101.	Pacific Union College	1,904	11.6%	50.2%	-24.9	204	-24.4%	21.3%	0.3
102.	Sarah Lawrence College	3,463	23.6%	53.2%	9.1	393	7.7%	21.3%	-8.2
103.	Randolph-Macon College	2,820	-11.3%	62.2%	0.7	374	-4.6%	21.3%	1.2
104.	Linfield College	2,325	13.4%	80.8%	0.9	400	-16.1%	21.3%	-7.8
105.	College of Idaho	1,665	82.8%	75.9%	-5.2	268	10.7%	21.2%	-11.6
106.	Rhodes College	4,733	28.4%	51.0%	-0.2	512	12.5%	21.2%	-2.9
107.	Wofford College	3,101	52.9%	69.1%	9.0	452	17.4%	21.1%	-10.5
108.	Juniata College	2,289	16.9%	70.8%	3.5	341	-9.5%	21.0%	-7.6
109.	Dickinson College	5,941	1.7%	48.7%	6.9	607	-2.3%	21.0%	-4.5
110.	Moravian College	3,059	39.7%	76.0%	12.0	477	18.4%	20.5%	-8.2
111.	Reed College	5,652	68.0%	35.6%	1.3	413	19.4%	20.5%	-9.5
112.	Concordia College at Moorhead	4,539	80.3%	61.6%	-23.9	568	-32.1%	20.3%	-18.5
113.	Southwestern U. (Tex.)	4,133	115.7%	43.1%	-24.2	362	-2.4%	20.3%	-8.4
114.	Guilford College	1,865	-46.9%	90.7%	33.0	343	-29.1%	20.3%	-3.6
115.	Cornell College	2,276	-14.4%	65.0%	19.6	300	-5.1%	20.3%	-5.9
116.	Occidental College	6,775	28.4%	41.8%	-2.3	564	23.1%	19.9%	0.2
117.	Bethany College (W.Va.)	855	-35.6%	94.0%	32.1	160	-35.7%	19.9%	-10.4
118.	Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion	2,799	60.1%	51.8%	-17.0	287	-4.7%	19.8%	-5.2
119.	Doane U.	2,392	108.0%	65.2%	-13.5	299	20.6%	19.2%	-8.2
120.	Northland College	1,625	30.5%	61.2%	-9.9	189	23.5%	19.0%	1.7
121.	Bloomfield College	3,340	18.1%	64.0%	23.2	405	11.9%	19.0%	-12.5
122.	Transylvania U.	1,567	10.4%	95.5%	16.8	283	-15.5%	18.9%	-11.1
123.	Franklin College of Indiana	1,821	20.0%	77.9%	11.4	267	-30.3%	18.8%	-19.2
124.	McDaniel College	2,814	2.6%	85.0%	11.8	450	3.2%	18.8%	-2.9
125.	Albion College	3,884	76.2%	70.6%	-10.7	515	3.0%	18.8%	-9.1
126.	Westminster College (Mo.)	1,035	11.2%	90.1%	10.2	174	-22.3%	18.6%	-11.5
127.	Presbyterian College	2,277	100.1%	65.2%	-5.7	276	-4.5%	18.6%	-17.3
128.	Luther College	4,288	108.8%	65.1%	-17.5	517	-21.5%	18.5%	-20.3
129.	Augustana College (Ill.)	6,750	119.2%	59.0%	-14.3	735	3.2%	18.5%	-13.1
130.	Saint Anselm College	3,892	10.5%	76.1%	6.7	546	-4.4%	18.4%	-4.9
131.	Whitman College	4,081	33.9%	51.7%	3.8	389	-9.1%	18.4%	-10.9
132.	Warren Wilson College	1,003	24.1%	79.4%	-1.2	146	-37.9%	18.3%	-17.8
133.	Elizabethtown College	3,033	-10.0%	74.0%	15.6	411	-18.3%	18.3%	-7.3
134.	Drew U.	3,205	-33.5%	63.4%	2.4	371	-18.6%	18.2%	2.7
135.	Georgetown College	2,498	71.7%	67.3%	-17.1	306	-16.6%	18.2%	-11.7
136.	Austin College	3,545	107.6%	52.2%	-17.5	332	-0.6%	18.0%	-10.1
137.	Lyon College	1,650	92.8%	64.2%	-4.4	190	33.8%	17.9%	-6.2
138.	Gustavus Adolphus College	4,834	47.4%	67.8%	-3.5	588	-12.9%	17.9%	-10.9
139.	College of Wooster (Ohio)	5,615	77.2%	56.4%	-17.9	568	4.2%	17.9%	-5.2
140.	Kalamazoo College	3,434	63.9%	73.4%	10.8	449	23.7%	17.8%	-9.9
141.	Monmouth College	2,428	31.4%	67.1%	-9.9	281	-36.9%	17.3%	-14.0
142.	Wheaton College (Mass.)	6,089	68.5%	47.9%	7.4	502	22.4%	17.2%	-10.8
143.	St. Norbert College	3,860	115.8%	79.2%	-8.1	526	-2.4%	17.2%	-17.3
144.	DePauw U.	5,173	42.7%	67.3%	-1.9	595	-10.4%	17.1%	-9.4
145.	Eckerd College	4,525	45.1%	72.7%	5.8	561	-47.8%	17.0%	-34.5
146.	Illinois Wesleyan U.	3,697	24.8%	60.9%	3.6	378	-29.7%	16.8%	-14.9
147.	Bard College	4,922	-1.2%	58.2%	31.1	470	-4.3%	16.4%	-20.0
148.	Spelman College	8,344	59.0%	40.1%	3.0	548	-3.7%	16.4%	-12.8
149.	Roanoke College	5,117	57.1%	67.2%	-6.0	557	-1.6%	16.2%	-7.5
150.	Gordon College (Mass.)	2,924	85.8%	88.9%	17.6	417	-8.8%	16.0%	-24.7
151.	Lawrence U.	3,612	39.0%	61.4%	5.8	353	-1.1%	15.9%	-8.8
152.	Hampden-Sydney College	3,573	143.1%	55.1%	-11.9	312	-6.6%	15.9%	-18.1
153.	Westminster College (Pa.)	2,874	110.1%	72.5%	1.7	328	4.1%	15.7%	-16.8
154.	Lake Forest College	4,303	95.3%	53.0%	-7.9	357	0.3%	15.7%	-10.9
155.	Saint Michael’s College	3,094	-11.7%	85.1%	16.0	409	-23.1%	15.5%	-6.4
156.	Susquehanna U.	5,927	149.8%	69.5%	-16.5	634	6.9%	15.4%	-13.7
157.	Knox College	3,231	33.6%	71.6%	10.5	355	15.6%	15.3%	-5.4
158.	Goucher College	3,474	-3.7%	78.8%	13.4	420	5.3%	15.3%	-1.6
159.	Holy Cross College	1,815	195.1%	74.0%	-10.8	206	7.9%	15.3%	-21.3
160.	Ohio Wesleyan U.	4,160	9.1%	71.4%	5.9	448	-22.2%	15.1%	-8.0
161.	Hanover College	2,757	45.6%	83.8%	17.9	343	48.5%	14.8%	-3.7
162.	Stonehill College	6,260	9.8%	72.1%	20.2	667	1.2%	14.8%	-7.5
163.	Ursinus College	3,488	-32.2%	78.2%	25.5	402	-14.1%	14.7%	-2.5
164.	Hiram College	2,761	78.0%	63.5%	-13.6	258	-22.5%	14.7%	-13.1
165.	Bridgewater College	7,241	371.1%	52.0%	-31.9	534	19.7%	14.2%	-20.4
166.	Thiel College	2,144	61.4%	62.9%	-12.4	189	-49.1%	14.0%	-23.1
167.	Ripon College	2,504	157.1%	67.5%	-12.0	237	-9.5%	14.0%	-19.8
168.	Washington College	5,515	154.5%	47.6%	-15.9	368	13.6%	14.0%	-9.5
169.	Allegheny College	5,114	17.5%	67.9%	10.8	484	-17.1%	13.9%	-9.6
170.	Randolph College	1,696	39.1%	86.4%	3.0	202	13.5%	13.8%	-3.7
171.	Carthage College	7,678	63.8%	67.9%	-9.2	709	3.2%	13.6%	-5.4
172.	Wartburg College	4,342	119.1%	76.9%	-6.7	451	-17.2%	13.5%	-19.4
173.	Alma College	4,728	131.3%	64.0%	-14.1	408	-5.1%	13.5%	-13.4
174.	Johnson C. Smith U.	6,657	38.7%	38.1%	0.2	339	-33.1%	13.4%	-14.5
175.	Washington & Jefferson College	5,358	-27.4%	47.9%	13.6	339	-16.7%	13.2%	-2.9
176.	Hartwick College	3,019	24.6%	88.6%	4.6	351	-22.9%	13.1%	-9.2
177.	Siena College	7,626	31.7%	77.9%	23.7	776	-0.6%	13.1%	-11.8
178.	Claflin U.	9,767	260.3%	41.2%	-7.7	519	29.8%	12.9%	-17.3
179.	Dillard U.	6,445	127.7%	40.8%	-5.1	338	93.1%	12.9%	-0.6
180.	Marymount Manhattan College	5,482	111.7%	79.5%	5.6	546	16.9%	12.5%	-11.9
181.	Whittier College	5,773	137.6%	74.1%	13.0	520	67.2%	12.2%	-8.8
182.	U. of Puget Sound	5,958	13.0%	83.9%	17.5	593	-7.9%	11.9%	-6.5
183.	Tougaloo College	2,227	110.5%	74.7%	-20.9	196	-2.0%	11.8%	-8.0
184.	Lewis & Clark College	6,305	17.8%	71.4%	15.3	526	3.3%	11.7%	-5.3
185.	Paine College	2,591	-10.7%	31.8%	-5.6	95	-63.0%	11.5%	-12.1
186.	Central College	4,016	109.3%	70.1%	-9.2	322	-24.1%	11.4%	-16.4
187.	Illinois College	4,121	265.0%	54.9%	-19.2	258	-0.8%	11.4%	-19.7
188.	Hollins U.	2,842	348.3%	48.4%	-39.8	155	-24.8%	11.3%	-25.6
189.	Albright College	8,332	148.5%	50.0%	-37.7	464	-9.4%	11.1%	-6.3
190.	Beloit College	5,400	150.3%	54.0%	-6.5	323	-0.6%	11.1%	-13.8
191.	Willamette U.	4,484	50.3%	89.1%	12.0	440	1.1%	11.0%	-7.9
192.	Millsaps College	4,276	241.3%	48.9%	-28.3	229	-22.6%	10.9%	-19.6
193.	Emmanuel College (Mass.)	5,965	36.5%	73.0%	13.6	474	-18.8%	10.9%	-11.6
194.	Elmira College	2,216	23.2%	85.1%	9.0	205	-42.7%	10.9%	-15.3
195.	Fisk U.	2,801	13.3%	45.4%	9.7	135	-49.8%	10.6%	-19.8
196.	Wittenberg U.	7,249	150.8%	72.2%	-0.4	539	-2.4%	10.3%	-16.0
197.	Coe College	7,002	270.5%	56.2%	-7.7	400	17.0%	10.2%	-18.1
198.	Wells College	1,693	47.9%	79.7%	15.1	137	-21.3%	10.1%	-13.4
199.	Spring Hill College	8,544	180.9%	45.7%	-20.2	395	3.1%	10.1%	-9.0
200.	Stillman College	5,123	58.7%	48.1%	10.7	163	-57.7%	6.6%	-25.3
	All 200 colleges	796,918	42.3%	48.7%	-0.9	79,604	-2.6%	20.5%	-8.9

Note: The analysis covers four-year private nonprofit colleges that were eligible to receive Title IV federal financial aid in 2017 and that were classified as “baccalaureate colleges: arts and sciences focus” under the 2015 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Colleges with open-admissions policies and colleges that lacked data for one or both comparison years were excluded. Institutions are ranked by the highest to lowest yields. Yield indicates the percentage of admitted applicants who enrolled as first-time students. The number of applicants indicates how many students sought to enter college as first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates in the fall of 2017. The acceptance rate is the percentage of those applicants who were admitted. Percentage-point differences for the acceptance rate and the yield were calculated by converting percentages to decimals and subtracting the figure for 2007 from the figure for 2017. A negative percentage-point difference for the acceptance rate indicates that the college accepted a lower percentage of the total number of applicants in 2017 than in 2007. A positive percentage-point difference for yield indicates that a higher percentage of accepted applicants enrolled in 2017 than in 2007. Percentages are rounded, but institutions were ranked before rounding. Questions or comments on the Chronicle List should be sent to Ruth Hammond.

Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data

Correction (11/14/2019, 11:50 a.m.): Because of an error in data reported to the U.S. Department of Education, the original version of this table showed two comparisons between 2007 and 2017 for Transylvania University that were incorrect. The percentage-point difference in the acceptance rate at Transylvania was 16.8, not 71.9, and the percentage-point difference in yield was -11.1, not -81.1. The two figures have been corrected. In light of the change, overall figures for all 200 colleges were adjusted slightly. The overall percentage-point difference in the acceptance rate between 2007 and 2017 was -0.9, not 0.8, and the overall percentage-point difference in yield was -8.9, not -9.0.</p>