North Atlantic division. PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION. The chief particulars of the current record of the professional schools of the United States, as reported from the several States and Territories, are presented in the summaries of the tables. Considering the country by geographical sections, the totals appear as follows: TABLE 45.—Summary of statistics of professional schools by geographical sections. From this exhibit it appears that the law schools report the largest percentage of students who have received college degrees, and that the North Atlantic division shows the highest ratios for all classes of professional schools. With respect to the medical schools it should be observed that only the regular and the homeopathic schools are included in the summary by geographical sections, as the particulars considered were not reported with sufficient fulness from the other schools included in the general table. The general lack of productive funds noticeable in the statistics of law and medical schools is, undoubtedly, due to the general conviction that these departments can be self-supporting. Experience, however, indicates that the highest order of professional study cannot be maintained upon such a basis, as expressed by President Eliot in his report for 1885-'86: "A professional school of high grade ought not to depend on tuition fees for nearly two-thirds of its annual expenses; and it ought to have the means of aiding young men of promise who are struggling to get a thorough training. In law schools, as in other educational institutions, it is only the elementary instruction, given year after year to large classes, which can be self-supporting." In the same report President Eliot calls attention to the disadvantages arising from the late entrance upon the practice of medicine in the case of students who seek the B. A. degree as a preliminary to professional study. The trouble grows out of the elevation of college standards and the consequent advance in the age for matriculation and graduation. In view of the evil pointed out the faculty of Harvard have laid before the academic council a plan for the abridgment of the college course by those students who go from college directly into one of the professional schools of the university, which plan is still under discussion. SCHOOLS OF THEOLOGY. The following is a comparative statement of the number of schools of theology (including theological departments) reporting to this Bureau each year from 1876 to 1886, inclusive (1883 omitted), with the number of professors and number of students: TABLE 46.-Summary of statistics of schools of theology. |