해마다 대학에서 합격자 발표가 다가올 때이면 신문이나 잡지 여기저기에서 대학 입학률이나 합격률에 대한 기사가 자주 등장한다. 비슷비슷한 이야기들도 많지만 가끔씩 흥미로운 기사도 눈에 띄곤한다.

고등학생 아들을 가진 엄마로써 처음엔 어떤 정보가 꼭 필요하고 중요한 건지 알지 못하여 그냥 지나쳐 버릴때가 많았지만 점차 대학 입학이 코 앞에 다가오게 되니까 관심갖는 부분이 점차 바뀌어가고 있음을 실감한다. 오늘도 여기저기를 뒤적이다가 U.S News& World Report의 2006년을 기준으로하는 각 대학별 yeild 수치를 발표한 기사를 발견하였다.

비록 ‘Yield’ 수치가 반드시 대학의 경쟁률과 비례하지는 않더라도 대학들은 지난 5년 간의 ‘yield’수치, 즉 합격한 학생들 중 최종 입학한 학생들의 수치를 바탕으로 가을학기 입학 예정자를 예측한다고 한다. 이 수치를 보면 갈수록 대학 합격률이 낮아지고 원하는 대학에 들어가기가 점점 힘들어지고 있는 상황에서 혹시라도 기대했던 대학에 합격하지 못하고 웨이딩 리스트에 올라있는 학생들이 있다면 미리 포기할 필요는 없겠구나라는 생각이 든다.

올 2008년 US News 통계에 따르면 입학결정비율이 높은 상위 20개 대학중 주립대학이 절반을 차지했는데 이는 많은 학생들이 되도록 집에서 가까운 대학을 원하고 있으며 경제적인 이유도 크게 작용한 것 같다고 한다.

▶National Universities

U.S. News  Rank	School	Acceptance Rate	Yield
79	Brigham Young University—Provo (UT)	70%	79%
2	Harvard University (MA)	9%	79%
1	Princeton University (NJ)	10%	69%
4	Stanford University (CA)	11%	67%
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	13%	66%
91	University of Nebraska—Lincoln*	73%	66%
5	University of Pennsylvania	18%	66%
52	Yeshiva University (NY)	79%	66%
49	University of Florida*	48%	63%
62	Texas A&M University—College Station*	77%	59%
14	Brown University (RI)	14%	58%
9	Columbia University (NY)	12%	58%
19	University of Notre Dame (IN)	27%	58%
28	University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill*	34%	57%
44	University of Texas—Austin*	49%	56%
59	University of Georgia*	58%	55%
85	University of Kansas*	77%	53%
57	Ohio State University—Columbus*	68%	51%
23	University of Virginia*	37%	51%
91	University of Alabama*	70%	50%
11	Dartmouth College (NH)	16%	50%
38	University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign*	65%	50%
85	North Carolina State University—Raleigh*	61%	48%
42	University of Washington*	68%	48%
12	Cornell University (NY)	25%	47%
23	Georgetown University (DC)	22%	47%
91	University of Missouri—Columbia*	78%	47%
96	University of Tennessee*	74%	47%
85	Iowa State University*	90%	46%
35	Georgia Institute of Technology*	69%	44%
71	Michigan State University*	73%	44%
25	University of Michigan—Ann Arbor*	47%	44%
96	University of Arizona*	86%	42%
21	University of California—Berkeley*	24%	42%
38	University of Wisconsin—Madison*	58%	42%
8	Duke University (NC)	23%	41%
67	Clemson University* (SC)	55%	40%
48	Pennsylvania State University—University Park*	58%	40%
75	Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ)	54%	40%
25	University of California—Los Angeles*	26%	40%
71	Virginia Tech*	68%	40%
33	College of William and Mary* (VA)	32%	39%
85	SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry*	58%	39%
19	Vanderbilt University (TN)	34%	39%
75	Indiana University—Bloomington*	80%	38%
14	Northwestern University (IL)	30%	38%
54	University of Maryland—College Park*	44%	38%
71	University of Minnesota—Twin Cities*	57%	38%
5	California Institute of Technology	17%	37%
96	Howard University (DC)	48%	37%
34	New York University	36%	37%
96	Auburn University* (AL)	72%	36%
79	University of Colorado—Boulder*	88%	36%
64	University of Iowa*	83%	36%
30	Wake Forest University (NC)	43%	36%
64	Purdue University—West Lafayette* (IN)	85%	35%
54	George Washington University (DC)	38%	34%
54	Pepperdine University (CA)	28%	34%
17	Rice University (TX)	24%	34%
9	University of Chicago	38%	34%
85	University of Denver	73%	34%
59	University of Pittsburgh*	56%	34%
59	Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey—New Brunswick* (NJ)	58%	33%
67	Southern Methodist University (TX)	54%	33%
14	Johns Hopkins University (MD)	27%	32%
64	University of Connecticut*	51%	32%
27	University of Southern California	25%	32%
91	University of Tulsa (OK)	76%	32%
12	Washington University in St. Louis	21%	32%
75	Baylor University (TX)	43%	31%
28	Tufts University (MA)	27%	31%
71	University of Delaware*	47%	31%
35	Boston College	29%	30%
75	Colorado School of Mines*	84%	30%
17	Emory University (GA)	32%	30%
67	Miami University—Oxford* (OH)	78%	30%
50	Syracuse University (NY)	51%	30%
31	Lehigh University (PA)	39%	29%
31	Brandeis University (MA)	36%	28%
44	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)	67%	28%
96	SUNY—Stony Brook*	47%	27%
52	University of Miami (FL)	40%	27%
96	University of Massachusetts—Amherst*	71%	26%
96	University of the Pacific (CA)	69%	26%
82	SUNY—Binghamton*	43%	25%
42	University of California—Davis*	68%	25%
96	Northeastern University (MA)	45%	24%
62	Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)	67%	24%
22	Carnegie Mellon University (PA)	34%	23%
82	Marquette University (WI)	70%	23%
57	Boston University	58%	22%
96	University of California—Riverside*	83%	22%
38	University of California—San Diego*	49%	22%
35	University of Rochester (NY)	45%	22%
44	University of California—Irvine*	60%	21%
41	Case Western Reserve University (OH)	67%	20%
91	Clark University (MA)	60%	20%
67	Fordham University (NY)	47%	20%
82	St. Louis University	67%	19%
44	University of California—Santa Barbara*	53%	19%
96	University of Vermont*	65%	19%
96	Illinois Institute of Technology	54%	18%
85	American University (DC)	53%	17%
79	University of California—Santa Cruz*	80%	17%
50	Tulane University (LA)	38%	11%

Note: These are the Top 100 ranked schools in this category, sorted in descending order by their yield. * denotes a public school.


▶Liberal Arts Colleges

U.S. News Rank	School	Acceptance  Rate	Yield
22	United States Military Academy* (NY)	15%	83%
20	United States Naval Academy* (MD)	14%	81%
83	Thomas Aquinas College (CA)	65%	77%
75	Berea College (KY)	29%	73%
85	Principia College (IL)	89%	64%
59	Wheaton College (IL)	56%	49%
75	St. John's University (MN)	89%	48%
30	Barnard College (NY)	26%	47%
71	Virginia Military Institute*	57%	47%
1	Williams College (MA)	19%	47%
91	St. Mary's College (IN)	80%	45%
97	Hillsdale College (MI)	75%	44%
5	Middlebury College (VT)	22%	42%
7	Bowdoin College (ME)	22%	41%
97	Luther College (IA)	81%	41%
4	Wellesley College (MA)	36%	41%
7	Pomona College (CA)	18%	40%
3	Swarthmore College (PA)	19%	40%
83	Sweet Briar College (VA)	80%	40%
52	Wabash College (IN)	51%	40%
9	Davidson College (NC)	30%	39%
15	Washington and Lee University (VA)	27%	39%
2	Amherst College (MA)	19%	38%
24	Bryn Mawr College (PA)	44%	38%
11	Claremont McKenna College (CA)	22%	37%
71	Hendrix College (AR)	85%	37%
17	Smith College (MA)	53%	37%
11	Vassar College (NY)	30%	37%
37	Bard College (NY)	29%	36%
24	Bates College (ME)	32%	36%
5	Carleton College (MN)	32%	36%
10	Haverford College (PA)	26%	36%
97	Hope College (MI)	81%	36%
11	Wesleyan University (CT)	28%	36%
17	Hamilton College (NY)	33%	35%
97	Hollins University (VA)	84%	35%
28	Mount Holyoke College (MA)	53%	35%
54	St. Olaf College (MN)	65%	35%
22	Colby College (ME)	33%	34%
17	Colgate University (NY)	28%	34%
59	Illinois Wesleyan University	52%	34%
87	New College of Florida*	49%	34%
87	St. Mary's College of Maryland*	56%	34%
33	College of the Holy Cross (MA)	34%	33%
26	Colorado College	34%	33%
48	Gettysburg College (PA)	41%	33%
32	Kenyon College (OH)	33%	33%
58	St. Lawrence University (NY)	59%	33%
75	Austin College (TX)	76%	32%
37	Furman University (SC)	56%	32%
71	Muhlenberg College (PA)	44%	32%
20	Oberlin College (OH)	34%	32%
59	Wofford College (SC)	57%	32%
30	Bucknell University (PA)	33%	31%
97	Juniata College (PA)	65%	31%
67	Kalamazoo College (MI)	69%	31%
54	Reed College (OR)	40%	31%
40	University of Richmond (VA)	46%	31%
63	Agnes Scott College (GA)	47%	30%
44	Connecticut College	38%	30%
52	Denison University (OH)	39%	30%
91	Lyon College (AR)	69%	30%
87	Millsaps College (MS)	86%	30%
40	Sewanee—University of the South (TN)	71%	30%
40	Union College (NY)	43%	30%
11	Grinnell College (IA)	45%	29%
34	Lafayette College (PA)	37%	29%
56	Lawrence University (WI)	56%	29%
75	Spelman College (GA)	37%	29%
91	Augustana College (IL)	75%	28%
40	Franklin and Marshall College (PA)	46%	28%
15	Harvey Mudd College (CA)	30%	28%
97	Lake Forest College (IL)	63%	28%
91	Randolph College (VA)	89%	28%
87	Transylvania University (KY)	83%	28%
56	Wheaton College (MA)	41%	28%
37	Whitman College (WA)	47%	28%
44	Dickinson College (PA)	43%	27%
69	Earlham College (IN)	68%	27%
80	Knox College (IL)	74%	27%
26	Macalester College (MN)	39%	27%
59	Southwestern University (TX)	65%	27%
34	Trinity College (CT)	43%	27%
44	Centre College (KY)	60%	26%
63	Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY)	65%	26%
28	Scripps College (CA)	45%	26%
47	Skidmore College (NY)	39%	26%
85	Allegheny College (PA)	63%	25%
67	Beloit College (WI)	67%	25%
71	College of Wooster (OH)	80%	25%
97	Ohio Wesleyan University	63%	25%
97	Washington College (MD)	60%	25%
49	Rhodes College (TN)	49%	24%
97	Cornell College (IA)	62%	23%
91	Hanover College (IN)	64%	23%
75	Birmingham-Southern College (AL)	62%	22%
49	DePauw University (IN)	68%	22%
36	Occidental College (CA)	42%	21%
63	Willamette University (OR)	75%	21%
91	Goucher College (MD)	70%	20%
80	University of Puget Sound (WA)	65%	20%
69	Ursinus College (PA)	47%	20%
80	Lewis and Clark College (OR)	58%	19%
49	Pitzer College (CA)	37%	18%
63	Drew University (NJ)	64%	17%

Note: These are the Top 100 ranked schools in this category, sorted in descending order by their yield.
* denotes a public school.