College Round-up

It's a top ranking Yale University is not bragging about--No. 1 for campus burglaries.

In 1995, the latest year statistics are available, students reported 256 campus burglaries. With an average of 2.35 burglaries reported per 100 students, Yale ranks highest among 490 colleges and universities that filed crime reports with the federal government, according to data reported in the March 21 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The U.S. Department of Justice reported that the national average for all universities is 29 burglaries per year.

Only the Georgia Institute of Technology had more burglaries, but its theft rate is lower than Yale's because of a larger student body. The University of New Haven, which has 5,677 students, reported six burglaries. Southern Connecticut State University, with 11,652 students, reported 56 burglaries.

Yale also reported 16 violent crimes in 1995: three forced sex offenses, six robberies and seven aggravated assaults.

The national average for all campuses is seven violent crimes.

Yale Police Assistant Chief James Perrotti could not be reached to interpret statistics, but factors such as Yale's size, urban setting, and relatively open campus may contribute to higher crime rates.

In contrast, the 24,606 students at Harvard reported 41 violent crimes and 86 burglaries, despite the school's enclosed campus and suburban location.