How the Rise in Out-of-State Students Could Be Hurting Public Colleges

At the University of Wisconsin—Madison next September, nearly half of all freshmen are expected to hail from other states. The university system’s Board of Regents recently lifted the 27.5 percent cap on out-of-state undergraduates at its flagship campus—a decision that’s emblematic of a nationwide trend at public colleges to both raise revenue and boost selectivity.