The Common Data Set is a collaborative effort between the educational community and publishers such as the College Board, Peterson's, and U.S. News & World Report. This project resulted in standardized information across educational institutions nationwide. Its purpose was to minimize the effort required to report variations of the same data over and over. CDS standards and definitions assure that accurate and consistent information is available to the public. It is an annual report that is prepared each Spring.

CDS topics are:

• Table of Contents see Page 2 of pdf or 2nd Tab of Spreadsheets
• A. General Information
• B. Enrollment And Persistence
• C. First-Time, First-Year Freshman Admission
• D. Transfer Admission
• E. Academic Offerings and Policies
• F. Student Life *
• G. Annual Expenses
• H. Financial Aid
• I. Instructional Faculty and Class Size
• J. Degrees Conferred
• Data Definitions

* The Student Life (Section F) is a good source for data on Greek membership, campus residence, and average age.