Colleges receive more applications when their basketball teams do well

The Economist (03/26/2018)
  • US college teams that qualify for the Men’s NCAA basketball tournament on average receive a 2.4% boost in SAT applications the following year.
  • Teams that make the Final Four and Championship have seen 5.8% and 10.9% increases in admission applications.
  • Out-of-state applicants drive these trends. 
  • College teams who’ve won experienced average increases of 23.2% the next year in black applicants, the most influenced demographic.