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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



time is in Oberlin about double that in the New York University. 

 Finally, we may call attention to the fact that in the University of 

 Alabama and in Syracuse University, the age of graduation has re- 

 mained practically unchanged, with a slight tendency to decrease. 



So much for the general aspects of Table I. It will be of some 

 interest to consider somewhat closely the changes that have come within 

 the last two generations of college graduates, or since 1850. At this 

 period all the colleges in our list are available for comparison; and 

 it is since the beginning of this period that practically all the modern 

 development of the American college has taken place. What happened 

 before 1850, while it may be interesting, can not have the importance 

 ior us now that the changes of the past fifty years have. 



At the outset, we note that of the eleven colleges in the table, the 

 anedian age for one only remains quite unchanged — Syracuse. The 

 ^following show increases, in months: Bowdoin, 6; Vermont, 5; New 

 "York University, 13; Wesleyan, 2; DePauw, 12; total, 38. The 

 if olio wing show decreases, thus: Dartmouth, 11; Adelbert, 3; Alabama, 

 7; Oberlin, 15; Middlebury, 1; total, 37. 



Table II. 

 Average of Median Age of Graduation foe Past Fifty Years. 



Dartmouth ... 

 Middlebury... 



Bowdoin 



Univ. of Vt... 



Adelbert 



Univ. of Ala. 

 N. Y. Univ..., 



Wesleyan 



Oberlin 



DePauw 



Syracuse 



Av. of Totals 



1890-99 



22-9 



23-2 



22-7 



22-9 



22-9 



20-2 



21-8 



23-6 



23-11 



23-9 



23-11 



22^7.5 



The net result of the changes that have come in the age of gradua- 

 tion in these fifty years is more clearly presented to the eye by Table 

 II. Here is presented a view of the medians for all the eleven colleges, 

 wherein each college is given an equal weight, regardless of whether 

 it be a large or a small college. By this method then is avoided the 

 overweighting which a large college, like Dartmouth or Bowdoin, would 

 otherwise exert on the results. The results show that in only one 

 decade is the average of medians as high as that of 1850-59. More- 

 over, the last two decades show a slight decreasing tendency, making 

 a net reduction in fifty years of two months for all the colleges. 



Thus far we have dealt with the median age of graduation as distinct 

 from the average age, and reasons have been adduced to show why the 



