Last week, a mom told me she’d crossed three schools off her daughter’s college list.
Why?
Because another parent at a lacrosse game said those schools were “impossible to get into.”
She didn’t fact-check. Didn’t look at data. Just… believed her.
When I asked if she’d looked at the actual admissions statistics for those schools, she said: “What statistics? I looked at their websites. They all say ‘highly selective.’ What else am I supposed to look at?”
And that’s when I realized: most parents have no idea that colleges publish real, standardized data that answers almost every question you have.
Acceptance rates. Test score ranges. What they prioritize in admissions. Financial aid breakdowns. Class sizes. Retention rates.
All of it. Free. Public. Published every year by the colleges themselves.
It’s called the Common Data Set.
And once you know how to find it and read it, you’ll stop making college decisions based on someone’s opinion at a lacrosse game.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode below
What Is the Common Data Set?
The Common Data Set (CDS) is a standardized report that colleges fill out every year.
It was created by the College Board, Peterson’s, and U.S. News & World Report to solve a problem: colleges were reporting data in completely different ways, making it impossible for families to compare schools.
So they created a template. A uniform set of questions that every participating college answers the same way.
Now, most colleges publish this document annually. It’s free, public, and available on their websites.
What’s in it:
- Admissions data (acceptance rates, test ranges, what they prioritize)
- Financial aid breakdowns (who gets aid, how much, merit vs. need-based)
- Retention and graduation rates
- Class sizes
- Student demographics
- Faculty information
Not every college participates, but most do—especially the schools you’re probably researching.
How to Find the Common Data Set
Step 1: Google this exact phrase:
“Common Data Set” + [name of the college]
For example:
- “Common Data Set UNC Chapel Hill”
- “Common Data Set University of Michigan”
- “Common Data Set Elon University”
Step 2: Look for the most recent year.
Colleges update the CDS annually. Make sure you’re looking at 2024-2025 or 2023-2024 data, not something from five years ago.
Acceptance rates change. Test score ranges change. Financial aid policies change.
Step 3: If you can’t find it:
Some colleges bury it on their institutional research page. Add “institutional research” to your search.
If the college doesn’t publish it publicly (some don’t), you can:
- Email the admissions office and ask for it
- Use College Navigator (a free tool from the National Center for Education Statistics) which has similar data
The Sections That Actually Matter
The CDS has a lot of sections. Most are institutional data you don’t need.
But there are three sections that are absolute gold for parents:
Section C: First-year admission (acceptance rates, test ranges, what they prioritize)
Section H: Financial aid (who gets it, how much, merit vs. need-based)
Section B: Retention and graduation rates
Let’s break down each one
Section C: Admissions Data (The Big One)
This is where you’ll spend the most time. Because this is where you find out:
- How competitive the school actually is
- What they care about most in admissions
- Where your kid falls in the applicant pool
C7: Relative Importance of Admissions Factors
This section is a game-changer.
The college ranks different factors on a scale:
- Very Important
- Important
- Considered
- Not Considered
Here’s what they rank:
- Rigor of secondary school record
- Class rank
- Academic GPA
- Standardized test scores
- Application essay
- Recommendation letters
- Extracurricular activities
- Demonstrated interest
- Character/personal qualities
- First generation status
- And more
Why this matters:
If a school marks “Rigor of curriculum” as “Very Important” and “Standardized test scores” as “Considered,” you know the transcript matters way more than the SAT.
If “Level of applicant’s interest” is “Very Important,” your kid better visit campus, attend info sessions, and engage with admissions.
If demonstrated interest is “Not Considered,” you can skip all that and focus on the application itself.
This is your roadmap for how to position your student’s application.
C9: Freshman Admission Statistics
This section gives you the numbers:
- Total applicants
- Total admitted
- Total enrolled
- Acceptance rate
But don’t just look at acceptance rate.
Also look at yield rate (the percentage of admitted students who actually enroll).
A high yield (50%+) means the school is usually a first choice. A low yield means it’s often a backup school.
C11 & C12: SAT and ACT Score Ranges
This is what most parents care about. And it’s where a lot of panic happens unnecessarily.
The college reports the middle 50% range for test scores.
Here’s what that means:
If the SAT middle 50% is 1300-1450:
- 25% of admitted students scored below 1300
- 25% scored above 1450
- 50% scored somewhere in between
How to use this:
✅ If your kid’s score is at or above the middle 50%: Submit it. It helps.
✅ If your kid’s score is below the middle 50%: Go test-optional. Let the rest of the application speak.
✅ If your kid’s score is way above the range: Definitely submit. It’s a strength.
Real example:
A mom I worked with was convinced her son needed to retake his 1320 SAT because “everyone says you need at least a 1400.”
We pulled the CDS for the five schools on his list:
- School 1: Middle 50% was 1280-1420. His 1320 was right in the middle. Competitive.
- School 2: Middle 50% was 1350-1490. Lower end of the range. Still fine.
- School 3: Middle 50% was 1210-1380. His score was above the range. Strong.
- School 4: Middle 50% was 1400-1520. Below the range. Reach school.
- School 5: Test-optional. Doesn’t matter.
Suddenly, she stopped panicking. His score was fine for most of his list.
That’s the power of actual data.
Section H: Financial Aid (The Money Section)
This section is just as important as admissions data. Because you need to know what this school will actually cost.
H2: Number of Students Receiving Aid
This tells you:
- How many students received any financial aid
- How many received need-based aid
- How many received merit aid
If 80% of students receive some form of aid, financial help is common.
If only 20% receive aid, the school is probably less generous.
H2A: Average Aid Packages
This shows:
- Average need-based scholarship/grant
- Average merit-based scholarship
- Average loan amounts
Real example:
A dad ruled out a school because the sticker price was $68,000.
We pulled Section H and found:
- 68% of students received aid
- Average need-based grant: $32,000
- Average merit scholarship: $18,000
Instead of $68,000, families were paying closer to $36,000-$50,000 after aid.
The school went back on the list. We ran the Net Price Calculator next, and it estimated $35,000 for his family.
Still expensive. But not impossible.
H6: Aid by Income Bracket (if available)
Some schools break down aid by family income. This helps you estimate what you might get based on your financial situation.
Important note:
The CDS gives you averages. Every family is different.
Always run the Net Price Calculator on the college’s website for a personalized estimate. But the CDS gives you the context—is this school generous or stingy? Do they give mostly merit or need-based aid?
Section B: Retention and Graduation Rates
These numbers tell you whether students are happy and successful at this school.
B22: Retention Rate
What percentage of freshmen return for sophomore year?
95% retention: Students are happy and staying.
75% retention: A lot of students are transferring out or dropping out. Why?
B11: Graduation Rates
What percentage of students graduate in 4 years? In 6 years?
85% graduate in 4 years: The school keeps students on track.
60% graduate in 4 years: Most students are taking longer—which costs more money.
This matters for both your wallet and your kid’s experience.
How to Actually Use This Data
Here’s your action plan:
Step 1: Pick 3-5 schools your kid is interested in.
Step 2: Pull the Common Data Set for each one.
Google “Common Data Set” + school name.
Step 3: Look at these sections:
✅ Section C7: What do they prioritize in admissions?
✅ Section C11/C12: What are the test score ranges? (Compare to your kid’s scores.)
✅ Section H2: What’s the financial aid picture?
✅ Section B: What are retention and graduation rates?
Step 4: Assess fit.
- Is my kid competitive for this school?
- What should we prioritize in the application?
- Should we submit test scores or go test-optional?
- Is this school financially realistic?
- Are students happy and graduating on time?
Step 5: Run the Net Price Calculator.
The CDS gives you context. The Net Price Calculator gives you a personalized estimate.
Do both.
Stop Guessing. Start Using Data.
The Common Data Set won’t answer every question. But it answers a lot of them.
And it gives you the actual facts—not marketing spin, not someone’s opinion, not a guess.
So you can stop crossing schools off your list because of something another parent said at a lacrosse game.
And you can start making decisions based on real information.
You’ve got this.
Cheering you on,
