US News: BYU Is Nation's Most Popular National University

Brigham Young University in Provo ranks as the most popular university in the US, according to this ranking by US News & World Report.

BYU has several academic programs that rank among the best in the country and the school's sports teams are competitive year after year.

Below are excerpts from the article.

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...

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...

3. Schools with religious ties...

U.S. News ranked not only national universities but liberal arts schools and service academies as well.

Read the complete article.