Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Mathematical Economics

First Advisor

Dr. James Monks

Second Advisor

Dr. Jeremy LeCrone

Abstract

The following paper further expands on previous research using more recent data which is important given changes in the last decade. This paper will answer the question: How do U.S. News and World Report college rankings impact college application and enrollment decisions for prospective students within American public and private colleges and universities? Application decisions refer to the choice to apply to a school while enrollment decisions refer to the choice to attend a school after being accepted. This paper analyzes Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDs) admissions/applicant, fall enrollment, and financial data alongside historical USNWR rankings lists to investigate the impact of the rankings on prospective students’ decisions in American colleges and universities. Most importantly I want to understand the type of student the rankings may most greatly influence and to what extent they do. For colleges, there is no evidence to support an improvement in rank can explain changes in student enrollment decisions. The empirical results do provide evidence that a change in rank has a small effect on student’s enrollment decisions for universities. For there to be a 1.5 percent change in yield, a university would need to move 10 spots in rank. To put in context, 1.5% of a class of 4000 is 60 students. This move in rank could occur easily due to consistent changes in USNWR methodology. However, even if an institution does move rank that quickly, universities must decide if this is a meaningful enough change to care so deeply about the ranking system. Men and Women responded the same as each other for both colleges and universities. As colleges improve in rank, they are less likely to enroll minority or lower income students

Download

Available for download on Wednesday, May 07, 2025

Share

COinS