PROVO — BYU has again beaten Harvard, Stanford and every other school in the country, large and small, to be named the most popular university in America for the second year in a row.
U.S. News and World Report's annual study of yield — the percentage of applicants who actually enroll at that university after being accepted — found BYU at the top of the list with a 76.9 percent yield — edging Harvard's 76.5 percent. Stanford came in third with a 69.8 percent yield.
BYU and Harvard have been battling for bragging rights over the last few years, tying in popularity during the first year of the study in 2008, followed by a Harvard win and now two subsequent BYU victories.
"I've talked to many students who grew up with a desire to be at BYU," said BYU spokesperson Todd Hollingshead. "They often forego applying to other schools. This was the place they wanted to be. It goes back to a goal many of our students have to be a part of this BYU experience."
U.S. News ranked Harvard as the best college in the nation while BYU dropped four spots from last year's ranking to 75th on the list.
School Students Accepted First Year Enrollment Yield U.S. News Rank
BYU 7,049 5,421 76.9% 75
Harvard 2,175 1,663 76.5% 1
Stanford 2,426 1,694 69.8% 5
Georgia Southern 5,154 3,539 68.7% Tier 2
University of Nebraska 5,943 3,986 67.1% 104
University of Alaska 1,507 1,008 66.9% Tier 2
Yale 1,958 1,307 66.8% 3
Idaho State 2,856 1,906 66.7% Tier 2
North Dakota 3,003 1,992 66.3% 159
MIT 1,676 1,072 64.0% 7
Yeshiva 1,269 809 63.8% 50
Kansas State 5,550 3,522 63.5% 132
Penn 4,040 2,475 61.3% 5
Memphis 3,726 2,256 60.5% Tier 2
Oral Roberts 827 498 60.2% Tier 2
Princeton 2,209 1,320 59.8% 2
New Orleans 2,130 1,259 59.1% Tier 2
Alabama 1,387 802 57.8% 179
Florida 10,821 6,253 57.8% 53
Columbia 2,501 1,419 56.7% 4
e-mail: clarson@desnews.com