The Common Data Set Part 1: Where College Guides get their Numbers

Did you ever wonder where all those weighty college guides get their information?  Are you curious about how publications like US News and World Report collect data for rankings?  Would you like to go directly to the source?

If so, let me introduce you to the Common Data Set—a somewhat secretive by largely accessible fount of information that anyone can tap into, if you know how.

The backstory is simple.  The Common Data Set (CDS) was created as a way to satisfy the insatiable appetite for college statistics among such organizations as the College Board, US News and World Report, Peterson’s, and Wintergreen Orchard House.

The idea was to reduce duplication of effort and meet publishers’ needs by asking colleges to complete a single survey the results of which would be compiled into a shared data base.

So rather than answer a zillion questions from many different publishers and websites, schools now fill out a lengthy standardized form each year. Data is collected, which is then used for everything from college rankings to online college search tools.

And many colleges are kind enough to publish their surveys on their websites so anyone can have access to the information. It’s a goldmine covering everything from admissions statistics to graduation rates.

Typically, you can find CDS responses by going to a college’s Institutional Research Office webpage or by using the website search function and entering “Common Data Set.” You can also Google “Common Data Set” and institution name. If the information is posted, it will appear as a link.

But not all schools post the CDS and URL's change frequently, so don’t be alarmed if after several attempts nothing comes up. A number of colleges simply don’t want the public to have easy access to what may be unflattering statistics or information they feel could be misinterpreted. 

Frankly, I’m always a little suspicious of colleges that refuse to post CDS information, but Columbia University, the University of Chicago, and Washington University in St. Louis probably don't care what I think.

And keep in mind, that the folks who administer the CDS don’t audit the information for accuracy.  They rely on colleges and universities to provide accurate and truthful information, which isn’t always the case as we’ve learned from the repeated scandals involving US News.

Also, it’s fair to say that colleges are sometimes confused about terms and definitions.  For example, the CDS provides little guidance on what is required for Grade Point Average (GPA) information—weighted, unweighted, or recomputed.  As a result, the reports on GPA are sometimes one and other times another.  And sometimes, the question simply isn’t answered.

Finally, don’t confuse the Common Data Set with the federal government’s College Navigator.  They involve two different reporting systems and produce two different reports.  Where they intersect, College Navigator is usually the more accurate (colleges generally don’t try to fool the feds) but sometimes the CDS stats are more current and more detailed.

The first of the CDS publications with 2012-13 data—The College Board Handbook—won’t come out until July.  You can begin your explorations early, however, by going directly to the sources.

Here are some local college webpages:

• American University: Office of Institutional Research & Assessment
• Catholic University: Institutional Research and Assessment
• Christopher Newport University: University Statistics
• College of William and Mary: Institutional Research and Reporting
• George Mason University: Institutional Research and Reporting
• Georgetown University:  Office of Assessment and Decision Support
• George Washington University: Office of Institutional Research & Planning
• Goucher College:  Institutional Research Downloads
• James Madison University:  Office of Institutional Research
• Johns Hopkins University:  Office of the Registrar
• Loyola University Maryland: Institutional Research
• Marymount University:  Institutional Effectiveness
• Saint Mary’s College of Maryland: Office of Institutional Research & Reporting
• Salisbury University: Common Data Set
• Towson University: About TU
• UMBC: Office of Institutional Research
• University of Maryland—College Park: Office of Institutional Research, Planning, & Assessment
• University of Mary Washington: Office of Institutional Analysis & Effectiveness
• University of Richmond: Office of Institutional Effectiveness
• University of Virginia: Institutional Assessment and Studies
• Virginia Commonwealth University: Center for Institutional Effectiveness

And a few others:

• Amherst College:  About Amherst
• Bowdoin College:  Office of Institutional Research
• Dartmouth College:  Office of  Institutional Research Duke University:  Office of the Provost
•  Harvard University:  Office of the Provost
• MIT:  Office of the Provost
• Middlebury College:  Office of Planning and Assessment
• Pomona College:  Office of Institutional Research
• Princeton University:  Office of the Provost
• Stanford University:  University Communications
• Swarthmore College:  Institutional Research
• University of Pennsylvania:  Institutional Research and Analysis
• Wellesley College:  Office of Institutional Research
• Williams College:  Office of the Provost
• Yale University:  Office of Institutional Research

This article has been updated from last year.