WASHINGTON — Tens of thousands of prospective college students want to be Terps or Cavaliers, which has — not surprisingly — helped catapult Maryland and Virginia’s major state universities onto a list of the “most desirable” schools in the United States.
College information website, eCollegeFinder determined the “most desirable” school in each state — at least in terms of how many undergraduate applications each school received for the fall of 2013.
U-Md. received the most applications in Maryland — more than 26,200. U-Md. has an acceptance rate of 47 percent.
U.Va. received more than 28,900 applications, making it Virginia’s most desirable school. U.Va. has an acceptance rate of 30 percent.
D.C. was not included in the eCollegeFinder’s list. The National Center for Education Statistics’ Database, which eCollegeFinder used to gather its data, says George Washington University garners the most applications out of D.C. schools with more than 21,700 applications.
Many of the schools on the list are major state universities and prestigious Ivy League institutions.
Overall, the University of California-Los Angeles received the most applications in the country — more than 72,600.
On the other end of the spectrum, the University of Alaska – Anchorage received about 3,000 applications — giving it the top spot for Alaska schools, but the lowest ranking on the national scale.
The schools that receive the most applications include:
- University of California – Los Angeles – 72,676
- New York University – 57,552
- Pennsylvania State University – 47,552
- Northeastern University – 47,364
- University of Michigan – Ann Arbor – 46,813
The researchers at eCollegeFinder used the National Center for Education Statistics’ Database and looked at schools offering four-year degrees with housing.
See a map with the most desirable colleges by state below:
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