The 15 Most Popular Colleges: US News List

Life is not a popularity contest. However, sometimes, popularity can be a good metric with which to look at colleges.

US News and World Report recently named the most popular colleges. Harvard topped the list with Brigham Young University coming in second.

But how do you measure popularity, you ask?

The Report has more:

One of the best indicators of a school's popularity among students is the school's yield--the percentage of applicants accepted by a college who end up enrolling at that institution in the fall. The figures in these tables are from the fall 2010 entering class and show the students that were accepted, the students that enrolled, and the admit yield.

Check out our slide show of the most popular colleges. Then tell us, what is your definition of popularity? Weigh in below!

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Comments

[abaylorbear]

01:54 AM on 03/21/2012

UT is pretty popular

[realpragmatist]

10:03 PM on 02/17/2012

How can anyone choose any university, even YP over MIT, I don't understand. Harvard, I can understand with reservations. I do not know about financial assistance at MIT, but the prestige (matching HYP), the quality of students, and above the undergraduate curriculum at MIT with the research infrastructure should make it the most valuable commodity in undergraduate education, alone with CalTech.
Please feel free to disagree and state the reason.

[Mondayboy]

11:14 PM on 03/05/2012

I agree 100%. I have my brass rat.

[nelore]

06:45 PM on 02/13/2012

Yeshiva?? ahh OK..survey was an exit survey after a Temple visit..come on...

[sifc33]

01:13 AM on 02/08/2012

HAHA! wow who put this together. Not ONE SEC school. Georgia Southern, FAMU...

Actually every school mentioned is NF.
It's funny to see the hate and bias show-up in a purported "free-thinking" weekly magazine.
What ever, I'm TFTC to even read the rest.

[KingGlorious]

07:08 PM on 02/07/2012

My list:

#5. University of Mary Washington
#4. Marist
#3. University of Michigan
#2. Syracuse University
#1. Columbia University

[Lochness71]

10:49 AM on 02/01/2012

"One of the best indicators of a school's popularity among students is the school's yield--the percentage of applicants accepted by a college who end up enrolling at that institution in the fall"

This is a horrible indicator. You would think it would be the school with the most incoming students wanting to attend. I am sure BYU is a popular school in Utah but not for most of the country.

[paulmary]

11:35 PM on 03/08/2012

no kidding, exactly my thought. No non-mormom would consider BYU even if offered.

[Lexi Heigh]

05:17 AM on 02/01/2012

The universiti­es in my area costs about $25,000 for a degree. They protest and complain about that, yet they have no problem buying that car that costs them $40,000 when they get done paying the interest. We need to set our priorities straight. It cost me roughly $65,000 for my BS, MS, and Doctorate.........details:- http://www.newusanews.com/

[northdakotasioux]

12:20 PM on 01/31/2012

GO FIGHTING SIOUX !!!!!!!!!

[UND4Life]

12:22 AM on 01/31/2012

University of North Dakota College of Nursing represent!!

[bnbncb]

09:50 PM on 01/30/2012

Have two children that went to Auburn...They love it/loved it! I have never met a child or an adult that was not happy at Auburn University!
I graduated from University of Florida, 3th generation graduate... one daughter, two nephews and one niece all graduated from UF...I loved it my Dad loved it... all the younger generation not so much... they did well one law school, two medical school & one PA school... but all felt like one of many lost in the crowded at UF... national championships helped but one of 54,000 is just to big.

[WhatWereTheyThinking]

08:22 PM on 01/30/2012

The most unpopular college is the Electoral College. See November 2000 for details.

[hopein2012]

02:20 AM on 01/31/2012

lol

[Mark Helfgott]

07:45 PM on 01/30/2012

I can understand why Harvard U is number one, but why did they leave out FU?

[hiclarkgriswold]

07:43 PM on 01/30/2012

One would think with all the OWS protests and rampant unemployment among recent college grads that UHK would have been the #1 choice!

[rockshock]

07:29 PM on 01/30/2012

I may set some kind of record. I have attended six different universities, both undergrad and professional/ grad. In no order of attendance, the overalllllll rating, factoring in EVERYTHING--0 BEING A nightmare to remember, and 10 near heaven on Earth. George Washington University- overall 6, range from 1-9, George Mason University, overall 9, range from 3-9.5, Wichita State University, 9.25, range 2-9.75, Catholic University, overall 2, range from 0-6, Virginia Tech, overall 7, range 2-9.0, Kansas University, overall 5.5, range 1.5 to 9. Rock Chalk!!!

[j2j3]

06:42 PM on 01/30/2012

WHATS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? The kids in my area are protesting the price of an education. The universities in my area costs about $25,000 for a degree. They protest and complain about that, yet they have no problem buying that car that costs them $40,000 when they get done paying the interest. We need to set our priorities straight. It cost me roughly $65,000 for my BS, MS, and Doctorate. My cousin tells me I paid too much. Yet between his Chrysler 300C with 20” rims, and Cadillac STS on 20”rims he paid over $70,000 and he doesn’t see a problem. Am I missing something here?

[Bikada]

08:21 PM on 01/31/2012

That is obsurd. How much does he make? When did he graduate? Teachers need advance degrees but doubt they could afford that car. Maybe the cost of your degree should be based on potential earnings.

[j2j3]

09:43 PM on 01/31/2012

What is? The amount he paid for the cars? He makes about 50-60K per year as a prison guard. He graduated high school and never went to college. As for affording a car, have you gone to a car dealer lately? They can get you into just about any car on the lot with all the clever financing they have these days. Of course it may cost you 3 times the price when you pay it off, but if you have a steady job and a pulse they WILL get you behind the wheel. The point I am making is we have no problem dropping down money for a car but we will complain if the same amount goes to an education which will last you a lifetime.