How we check the data

Every number on AdmitRate comes from one of two kinds of official source, and every page says which one and for what year.

Our sources

The college's own Common Data Set

The Common Data Set is a standard report that most U.S. colleges publish each year through their institutional research office. It is the most recent detailed source for admissions. We use its counts of applicants, admits and enrollees (section C1), the waitlist (C2), test policy and score ranges (C8–C9), high school GPA (C11–C12) and early decision and early action (C21–C22).

The U.S. Department of Education

Cost, net price by family income, graduation rates, debt and earnings come from the College Scorecard, which draws on the federal IPEDS survey. We use the release of October 15, 2026. Federal admissions data lags by about a year, so this release covers students who entered in fall 2024.

How each figure is checked

1. We download the Common Data Set from the college's own website and keep the link on the page.
2. Each figure is copied from the document and checked by hand against it. Rates are calculated from the reported counts, not taken from third-party sites.
3. Where the college's report and the federal data differ, we show both and say which year each one covers.
4. Each profile shows the date we last checked it.

We use software, including AI tools, to help draft the text around the numbers. The numbers come from the source documents and are checked by hand before a page goes live.

How often we update

Colleges publish new Common Data Sets between autumn and spring, and the College Scorecard is updated several times a year. We check for new releases every month, and weekly during the admissions season from September to January.

Corrections

If you find a figure that does not match its source, tell us. We check the report and correct the page, usually within a few days.