The Pennsylvanian has compiled the following statistics which may be of interest. They are based on the number of students in the fifteen most important institutions in this country five years ago, i. e., 1886-87 and at present 1891-92. The colleges from which these statistics have been compiled are Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Pennsylvania, Cornell, Michigan, Minnesota, Columbia. Johns Hopkins, Brown, Williams, Virginia, Lehigh, California and Wisconsin.

In 1886-87 the total number of students was 11,195, while today the number amounts to 15,084, an increase of 4,889 or thirty-three per cent. The rank of the first six colleges during 1886-87 was as follows: Harvard first with 1,688 students; Michigan next with 1,572; Columbia third with 1,570; Yale fourth with 1,134; Pennsylvania fifth with 1,088; Cornell sixth with 1,489. In 1891-92 Harvard still keeps the lead with 2,658; Michigan next with 2,622; Yale has risen to third place with 1,784; Pennsylvania moves to fourth place with 1,784; Columbia stands fifth with 1,539; and Cornell sixth with 1,489.

In the total gain in five years Michigan leads with 1,050; Harvard follows with 970; Minnesota with 644; Cornell with 746; Pennsylvania with 676; Yale with 650.

The approximate percentage of gain for the colleges is as follows: Minnesota, 232; Cornell, 100; Wisconsin, 96; California, 84; Princeton, 75; Michigan, 66 3-4; Brown, 65 4-5; Pennsylvania, 62; Yale and Harvard each 57 2-5; Virginia, 51 5-10; Lehigh, 44; Johns Hopkins, 39; Williams, 22 3-5. Columbia stands last, having lost thirty one students in five years, or two per cent. loss.