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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.

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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. Among them were Soka University of America, Pomona College, and Claremont McKenna College.

RankInstitution 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>

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A version of this article appeared in the November 1, 2019, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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