School Characteristics and the Demand for College

We estimate the demand for colleges in the United States by relating new applications to easily comparable characteristics of the schools in the sample. We find that the demand for 1134 U.S. colleges in 1994 is positively related to out-of-state tuition but inversely related to in- state tuition. Further, we find those who apply to private schools are more price and income sensitive, and respond more to stronger faculty staffs. That a given state has more schools has a positive effect on the number of public-school applications but a negative impact on private- school applications. Finally, we find no correlation between state population and the number of applicants to colleges in that state, suggesting that those who are willing and able to attend college are mobile.