<p>The primary factor in Duke’s yield is not prestige or the lacrosse hiccup. It’s the economy and cost of a college education. Each April students and their parents sit at the kitchen table and talk about which college to attend. Duke and U. Penn will cost 58K/yr, Wash StL and Rice offered a 1/2 merit package and will cost 30K/yr and the state flagship’s honors program offered a full ride. Grad school will cost another 200K.<br>
What happens is the low and high income kids can afford Duke and U. Penn and the middle to upper-mid class can’t make it work. 20 years ago the mid to upper middle income kids could afford elite private universities and they were the target group for these private universities. Today these students fill up the honors program at the state flagship (their 3rd or 4th choice) due to cost.</p>