A Free Source Most Applicants Never Open

What the Common Data Set Is

Almost every accredited US college publishes a Common Data Set each year. It follows the same format at every school, so you can compare different colleges on equal terms. It is produced through a collaboration among higher education data providers, and colleges self-report the numbers.

Where to Find It

Search "[College name] Common Data Set". Most colleges post it on the Institutional Research or Institutional Research and Assessment page. Use the most recent year available, and look at the previous year too, because a trend tells you more than a single number. A few colleges do not publish theirs, so use their admissions statistics page instead.

The Sections That Matter Most

Section C: first-year admissions. This is the most useful part. It shows how many students applied, were admitted and enrolled, the waitlist figures, the middle 50% of test scores and GPAs, and how the college ranks the factors it considers. In the "basis for selection" table, each factor is rated very important, important, considered or not considered.

Section H: financial aid. It shows how many students received need-based aid, the average aid amount, and the average percentage of need met. Note that these are averages across all aided students.

Section G: expenses. It lists the published tuition, fees, room and board, so you can compare the cost of attendance.

Section I: instructional faculty and class size. It shows student-to-faculty ratios and the number of small and large classes.

Section J: degrees conferred. It shows which majors are most popular.

How to Read It

Look at the "very important" factors and compare them with your own application. If the college lists rigor of the school record and GPA as very important, make sure your course choices and grades support that. If test scores are listed as not considered, you can focus your time elsewhere.

Then calculate three numbers: the admit rate (admitted divided by applicants), the yield (enrolled divided by admitted), and the waitlist admit rate (admitted from the waitlist divided by those offered a place).

A Five-Step Worksheet

  1. Pick eight colleges from your list.
  2. Open the latest Common Data Set for each.
  3. Record the admit rate, the middle 50% GPA and test range, the average percentage of need met, and the number of small classes.
  4. Put them in a simple table.
  5. Mark any college where you fall below the middle range, or where aid is limited.

A Worked Example

Say a college admitted 2,400 of 30,000 applicants and 1,100 of them enrolled. The admit rate is 8%, and the yield is about 46%. If the table shows that its middle 50% GPA range starts at 3.8 and your GPA is 3.6, you are below the range, so you would need a strong case elsewhere, such as unusual talent or a compelling essay. If the college meets 95% of demonstrated need on average, that is useful, but it still describes an average, so run the net price calculator for your family.

Pitfalls

  • Self-reported data. The numbers come from the colleges themselves, so treat them as a guide.
  • Test-optional effects. If only high scorers submit their scores, the reported ranges may look higher than the true profile of admitted students.
  • Averages hide variation. The average percentage of need met does not tell you what you will receive.
  • Different years. Compare the same year across colleges where possible.

Next Steps

Use the numbers to sort your list into reach, target and likely schools, and to find questions to ask admissions offices. If something seems unclear, such as how a college defines a category, contact the institutional research office or admissions team. The Common Data Set will not make your decisions, but it will give you a more accurate picture than a ranking list.