Public vs. Private High School Matriculation to Top 15 Liberal Arts Colleges
A comparative look at how public and private high schools perform in sending graduates to Top 15 Liberal Arts Colleges across 30 metropolitan areas. Visualization is based on data for the 2020-2026 period.
By Data Team | Published October 3, 2025 | Updated October 6, 2026
Key Insights
Largest Gaps
(Private > Public Median Diff)
- Chicago: Private by ~5 pts.
- D.C.: Private by ~5 pts.
- Boston: Private by ~4.5 pts.
- Austin: Private by ~2 pts.
- Bay Area: Private by ~2 pts.
Highest Private Medians
(T15 matriculation rates)
- D.C.: ~6.0%
- Boston: ~5.5%
- Chicago: ~5.0%
- Bay Area: ~3.0%
- Seattle: ~3.0%
Highest Public Medians
(T15 matriculation rates)
- Bay Area: ~1.0%
- NYC: ~1.0%
- Boston: ~1.0%
- Atlanta: ~1.0%
- D.C.: ~1.0%
- LA: ~1.0%
Matriculation Data Visualization
How to Read This Chart
This chart visualizes the distribution of T15 Liberal Arts Colleges matriculation rates. The box shows the middle 50% of schools, the line inside is the median, and the whiskers show the data range, excluding outliers (dots). The colored bar between the plots highlights the difference between their median rates. The columns on the right provide additional context for each city.