What are some of the most popular colleges in the US?

Hey everyone! I'm a high school junior starting to look at colleges and I'm curious, what are some of the most popular colleges in the US? Like, which ones receive the most applications or have the most undergrads?

There are several ways to gauge popularity in colleges, including the number of applications received, undergraduate enrollment, and overall prestige.

In terms of sheer volume of applications, the University of California system often takes the cake with campuses such as UCLA and UC Berkeley typically receiving the highest number. These schools tend to have large undergraduate enrollment due to their public status.

Outside the UC system, other popular colleges in terms of application volume include New York University, Boston University, and University of Southern California, all of which are known for their sizeable undergraduate populations as well.

If we're considering size of the undergraduate student body, big public schools usually dominate. Examples include the University of Central Florida, Texas A&M University, and Ohio State University, which have some of the largest undergraduate enrollments in the country.

However, if popularity is measured by prestige and selectivity, then Ivy League schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, along with Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, are often considered some of the most desired. These institutions receive a lot of applications each year and maintain low acceptance rates due to their high academic standards.

Keep in mind that while these universities are popular, it's most important to find a college that fits your academic and personal interests, as well as your financial considerations. You want to make sure you'll be happy and successful there for four years.