Common Data Set

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  • Common Data Set

The Common Data Set (CDS) initiative is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers as represented by the College Board, Peterson’s, and U.S. News & World Report. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student’s transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers.

Those who report data for their colleges are urged to abide by the definitions and the cohorts specified when answering CDS items. They are also urged to use the answers to CDS items when responding to the numerous survey requests they receive, by distributing photocopies of their answers, posting them on their web sites, or by other effective means.

Most recent five years of CDS data for St. Olaf College:

  2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
General Information A A A A A
Enrollment and Persistence B B B B B
First-Year Admission C C C C C
Transfer Admission D D D D D
Academic Offerings and Policies E E E E E
Student Life F F F F F
Annual Expenses G G G G G
Financial Aid H H H H H
Instructional Faculty and Class Size I I I I I
Degrees Conferred J J J J J
Definitions Def Def Def Def Def

Historical summaries of Common Data Set

Please contact Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment for archived copies of complete CDS data. More recent summaries are not available.