Getting admitted to a top public college is becoming tougher, as applicant pools grow and average acceptance rates fall.

That’s one finding of an analysis of data submitted by the top 10 highest-ranked public colleges and universities in the 2008 through 2018 editions of U.S. News’ National Universities rankings.

Here are three admissions trends at the top 10 ranked public colleges. Calculations for some years included U.S. News data from more than 10 public schools due to rankings ties.

1. Going hand in hand, acceptance rates have dropped as more students apply.

It’s no surprise to experts that the number of applicants for these public schools rose most years.

For one thing, students are applying to more schools than in the past, says Amy Jarich, assistant vice chancellor and director of undergraduate admissions at the University of California–Berkeley, the No. 1 ranked public university for each edition of the rankings since 2008. Experts attribute the change to today’s ease of submitting applications electronically, particularly as many colleges use the Common Application.

[Determine how many colleges to apply to.]

Applicants to UC system schools, several of which have been among the top 10 ranked public colleges since the 2008 rankings, don’t submit the Common Application, says Jarich. But it’s simple to simultaneously apply to several colleges in the UC system.

“You can choose multiple campuses with the click of a box and paying the fee, if it’s required,” she says. “And that has, I think overall, throughout the system, increased the number.”

Experts also say some top public colleges have made greater efforts to attract international students in recent years. And many are starting to offer more honors programs and other amenities, such as special dorms for honors students or those who apply for themed housing, “to compete with the top private universities,” says Amy Garrou, a college admissions counselor at InGenius Prep who previously worked in admissions at the University of Virginia.

“It’s really the race to prestige — prestige at a reasonable price,” she says.

Experts say the average acceptance rate — which dropped steadily during most years of the rankings — is largely the result of these larger applicant pools.

“I think those two things are very tightly connected, and we’ve seen that trend at the national level, too,” says Melissa Clinedinst, associate director of research at the National Association for College Admission Counseling. While it’s difficult to predict, Clinedinst expects that the average acceptance rate among all universities may stabilize in the next few years, in part because the year-to-year changes haven’t been drastic.

2. SAT scores among enrolled freshmen have risen since 2011.

The average 75th percentile SAT score on a 1600 scale among enrolled full-time freshmen at top public colleges has risen overall since the 2011 rankings, with one slight drop between then and the 2018 edition. This may correlate with admissions competition at these schools becoming fiercer by the year.

“If you don’t have scores at a certain level, you’re not even going to be put on the table for consideration,” says Ashley Kollme, principal college admissions counselor at the New York-based higher education consulting company IvyWise. “I think it’s just a matter of students knowing that it takes more these days.”

[Understand what’s considered a good SAT score for college admissions.]

When it comes to the most recent rise in the average 75th percentile SAT score, some experts also point to the new version of the SAT that started in 2016, which has fewer obscure vocabulary questions, an optional essay portion and a heavier emphasis on algebra and analyzing longer reading passages, among other changes. Some experts have said the new SAT is easier than the previous exam.

3. The average percentage of freshmen receiving need-based financial aid has remained relatively consistent since 2011.

For the average percentage of all freshmen receiving need-based financial aid at the top 10 ranked public colleges, there was a notable increase from the 2010 to 2011 editions of the rankings — from 39 percent to nearly 47 percent. The figures have remained relatively consistent since then.

[Explore four incorrect reasons to not apply for financial aid.]

Experts were uncertain as to why there was a sudden rise for the 2011 rankings. A possible explanation is recovery from the Great Recession, some experts say — though Jarich attributes it mainly to greater efforts among selective colleges, including state schools, to encourage more low-income and first-generation students to apply and enroll.

Regarding the overall fluctuation in data for in-state and out-of-state student loans, experts say the fact that the top 10 public colleges can change each year in the rankings may play a role. Kedra Ishop, vice provost for enrollment management at the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, says states also vary in their efforts to draw high schoolers to college.

“That is going to have these numbers kind of lifting and shifting all over the place,” she says.

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U.S. News Data: Explore Admissions Trends at the Top Public Colleges originally appeared on usnews.com