Degree Query took a closer look at US colleges and created a set of infographics revealing the most-assigned books in each state, as well as across the five most popular fields of study.
The visuals are based on the data from Open Syllabus. It’s a non-profit organization that analyzed over 9 millions English-language syllabi from 140 countries. Thanks to that, it’s possible to extract helpful data to compare educational materials and explore new topics.
Based on syllabi from well over 2,500 US colleges, the key findings are:
▸ The most commonly assigned college book overall is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
▸ Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan is the most-assigned book in Ivy League colleges, appearing in 209 syllabi.
▸ Of the 100 most-assigned books in US colleges, 22 have a female author.
▸ The most popular book on computer science is Introduction to Algorithms by Thomas H. Cormen, appearing on over 1,800 syllabi across the country.
Make sure to visit the original post at Degree Query to see the rest of the visuals and read the entire analysis.
Do you want to explore the world of syllabi even more? Here are novels written by women that are most assigned in U.S. colleges.
Click on the infographics to see them enlarged.
The most assigned college books – Ivy League vs. public colleges
Only three of the top most-assigned books in the Ivy League also rank in the top 10 most-assigned books at the top eight public colleges.
The most frequently assigned college book in each state
Diana Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference and A Pocket Style Manual are the most commonly assigned books in the most US states.
The most frequently assigned books in five fields of study
What’s the most assigned business book in US colleges? Understanding Business by William G. Nickels appears on over 1,000 syllabi nationwide.
Appearing on novel 1,800 syllabi across the country, Thomas H. Cormen’s Introduction to Algorithms is the most-assigned computer science book in the US.
Microeconomics by David Besanko and Ronald R. Braeutigam is the most-assigned college book on economics in US colleges.
Samuel P. Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order is the most-assigned book on political science in 9 states, appearing on over 2,700 syllabi.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the most-assigned book on English literature syllabi in 12 states. It’s also the most commonly assigned college book in the US, appearing on more than 5,000 syllabi.
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