The 10 Most Googled Colleges In 2013

Did you search for these 10 schools this past year? We break down the 10 Most Googled Colleges according to the 2013 Google Zeitgeist.

10. Cornell University

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This school in Ithaca, N.Y., comes in at No. 10, possibly because its 17 percent acceptance rate is the highest of all the Ivies. So for prospective students desperate to attend an Ivy League school, this college may hold their best chance of being accepted. It's also the largest school of all the Ivies.

9. Ohio State University

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It was amazing halftime shows like this one that probably made people search for this school a lot. Plus, Ohio State's football team had a pretty good season in The Horseshoe, one of the many venues that makes OSU No. 1 for Best Athletic Facilities.

8. Duke University

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Duke University makes Niche's Top 50 schools with the Most Applicants Per Year, so it's no wonder that so many people would be searching for the school on Google.

7. University of Washington

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The University of Washington is one of the Top 25 schools with the Most Freshmen, according to the Niche ranking. And with sustainable causes being a hot trend, people might be searching for this school for its green tendencies--it's the No. 20 Greenest Campus on Niche.

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

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With some of the Most Applicants Per Year, the University of Michigan is also known for its strong athletic fan base, coming in at No. 12 on Niche's list of Most Active Varsity Sports. It also has a high freshman retention rate, which means students stick around.

5. Northwestern University

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Northwestern has everything some students could be looking for in a college. Stellar academics, strong school spirit, and it's close to one of the biggest cities in the country. It really does have it all, including a Niche ranking of No. 5 for Best Performance Venues.

4. Ashford University

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Not only does Ashford University have a brick and mortar campus in Iowa, but it also has online programs, which expands its user base, which means more people might be searching for it on Google. And even with most students attending this school online, it's still rated No. 2 for Best Social Interaction.

3. Columbia University

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It's a school that gets some of the Most Applicants Per Year, and it's also the No. 4 school where it's Hardest to Get In according to our Niche ranking. Everyone wants what they can't necessarily have, right?

2. Liberty University

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This school is No. 3 on Niche's list of Most Full-Time Students, and it's the largest Evangelical Christian university in the world.

1. University of Phoenix

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Are you a Phoenix? Based on Google's college search trends for 2013, there's a good chance that you are after this year. It has crazy enrollment numbers, with 269,000 reported in October 2013--and this was an 18 percent decline from 2012. According to Niche users, it's No. 1 in Best Class Availability and No. 2 in Least Stressful Workloads, which is very desirable for its working-adult demographic.