<p>^^^this is a classic case of overreaching with limited data. The study simply doesn’t support what you are saying. The study’s own p.i. says “To the extent that elite institutions attract the best students, the drop in their share of Ph.Ds suggests that science has lost some of its attractiveness to the best and brightest, presumably because thes students see better job opportunities in other professions.” That’s on page one of the study.</p>
<p>Second of all, the list of LACs and research universities you cite at the bottom of post #21 is lifted from a table (Table 6) of the study the only purpose of which was to support the conclusion stated above (an overall <em>decline</em> in the percentage of incoming doctoral candidates from selected baccalaureate granting institutions.)</p>
<p>The list of “Top Ph.D Institutions” was not meant to be exhaustive (where were Cornell, JHU, Penn, Columbia, and Stanford?) and were listed for illustrative purposes only. The fact that 25% of Amherst science grads wind up at these six Ph.D granting institutions, is not “worrisome” but, actually rather remarkable.</p>
<p>On the contrary, it’s the fact that 60% of Harvard’s undergraduates never leave Cambridge, and 52% of Yale’s never leave New Haven that ought to be worrisome.</p>