What is College Yield?

Definition: A college's yield ratio is based on how many accepted students actually enroll. At Harvard, for example, some 78% of the accepted freshmen enrolled in 2008, and the yield was the same the year before. Yield figures are used in every aspect of a college's planning, from dormitory allotments to tuition, for the coming year. Yield also factors into some college rankings, as well as the "Most Popular Colleges" lists.