The College as Rat-Race

In 1950, 2,214,000 students were enrolled in American colleges and universities. By 1960 the total had grown to 3,570,000 and in the last academic year it was 4,207,000. Projections for 1970 range as high as seven million. This increase is not merely a consequence of the growth of the American population. Of 1,000 boys and girls in the 5th grade in 1942, only 205 entered college in 1950. But of 1,000 fifth graders in 1954, 336 entered college in 1962. By the time the present grade school children have reached college age, the proportion may exceed one-half.

The consequent rise in college applications has of course been distributed unevenly among America’s colleges. Although there are still many accredited institutions which ...