WESTERN COLLEGES GAINING

Statistics compiled recently for the Educational Department of the State of Massachusetts show many interesting facts concerning the universities and colleges of the country.

The majority of the eastern colleges, and especially the endowed universities of the East, have experienced very moderate gains in the numbers of students enrolled, whereas the state universities of the West have increased greatly in size during the last few years. This seems to indicate that students are no longer as willing as formerly to go far from home to college. This tendency is being combatted by Harvard and other large eastern universities by offering large scholarships to men in far removed districts, but as yet this effort seems to have had little effect.

Reasons for Gain.

Another striking fact brought out by these statistics is that the state colleges are increasing in size much more rapidly than are the endowed colleges. This may be accounted for by two reasons: one, that entrance requirements of the state colleges are generally much easier, and the other, that many of the endowed colleges do not desire large increases in their enrollment.

While the number of students is constantly increasing, the proportion taking courses for an A.B. degree is becoming much smaller, to the advantage of the so-called "practical courses."