Ex Regious State University, in its public relations materials for prospective students, proudly points out the accomplishments of its 96 alumni who have reached the zenith of their fields: millionaires, CEOs, and university presidents. They contrast this with Pricy Small U., a small private school, in the same town, with only 22 alumni who have reached similar levels of achievement in spite of the smaller school's greater cost.
Why is it not fair to use these two numbers to conclude that students from Ex Regious State do better in these fields than those of Pricy Small U.?
A) Ex Regious State's public relations department may be lying.
B) Where students go to school has nothing to do with how successful they are.
C) One school may have more students than the other school has.
D) They should be comparing athletic accomplishments.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The numbers alone do not account for the size of the schools, meaning that Ex Regious State may have more alumni overall than Pricy Small U. This would skew the comparison and make it unfair to conclude that students from Ex Regious State do better in these fields than those of Pricy Small U.

Ex Regious State University, in Its Public Relations Materials for Prospective