College application reference
College application & essay statistics
A concise, source-led reference for students, families, counselors, writers, and journalists following the college application process.
Last reviewed November 6, 2026
What these numbers show
A larger application process, with writing still part of the picture.
Application volume through Common App continued to grow in the 2025–26 season. At the same time, college admission decisions are broader than any one piece of an application. The figures below separate platform-wide application trends from a national survey of how colleges weigh academic records and writing.
1,527,328
first-year applicants used Common App in 2025–26
This is a 6% increase over the previous application season.
Source: Common App end-of-season report, August 20, 202610,786,782
applications were submitted through Common App in 2025–26
The total was 6% higher than in 2024–25.
Source: Common App end-of-season report, August 20, 20267.06
colleges per applicant, on average
Common App reports this average for its 2025–26 first-year applicants, up from 6.79 the year before.
Source: Common App end-of-season report, August 20, 2026+6%
growth in first-generation applicants
Common App reported first-generation applicant growth while continuing-generation applicants declined by less than 1%.
Source: Common App end-of-season report, August 20, 202676.8%
of surveyed colleges gave considerable importance to grades in college-prep courses
This reflects responses from 185 NACAC member four-year colleges for the Fall 2023 admission cycle.
Source: NACAC, Factors in the Admission Decision, Fall 202318.9%
of surveyed colleges gave considerable importance to the essay or writing sample
Another 37.3% gave it moderate importance in NACAC’s Fall 2023 survey of 185 member four-year colleges.
Source: NACAC, Factors in the Admission Decision, Fall 2023Methodology & sources
How to use this page.
Each statistic is linked to the original publisher. Common App figures describe first-year applicants and applications submitted through its platform, not every college application in the United States. NACAC figures come from its Fall 2023 survey of member four-year colleges, so they describe that survey group rather than every institution.
This page is reviewed regularly so its source dates and figures can be updated without changing the stable links to each statistic.
Cite this page
Dr. J’s Writing Institute. “College Application & Essay Statistics.” Accessed November 6, 2026.
https://drlawandajohnson.com/college-application-statisticsWriting support
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