Each year, the Common Application releases data about the students who use the app to apply four-year colleges in the U.S. Among the highlights, which are explored more fully at our website, are the following:
- First-year applications to colleges were up 5% over last year; approximately 1.2 million applicants submitted the forms for the latest application cycle; on average, students apply to between 5-6 schools each
- The report found that the number of first-year students who included standardized test scores in their applications grew 10% last year, while the number of applicants who left them out remained unchanged, narrowing the gap between the two groups.
Since the 2020-2021 application cycle, applications from prospective first-year students have steadily increased, despite the debacle of the rollout of FAFSA last year and the US Supreme Court’s decision to ban race-conscious admissions. Roughly 960,000 students used the Common App portal to submit over 4.8 million applications during the 2020-21 cycle. In the 2024-25 cycle, over 1.2 million users submitted just under 6.7 million applications.
The Common App’s report also found more first-year students including standardized test scores in their applications, up 10% since last year. The number of applicants leaving them out remained unchanged year-over-year.
“This marks the first time since the 2021–22 season that the growth rate of test score reporters has surpassed that of non-reporters, narrowing the gap between the two groups,” the report said.
That’s despite slowing interest in highly selective colleges, the type of institution that has historically used standardized test scores most frequently in the admissions process.
Applications to colleges with acceptance rates below 25% (the nation’s most selective colleges) grew just 2% in 2024-25, Common App found. That’s compared to the between 8% and 9% increases seen at institutions of all other selectivity levels.