Common Application Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 6616 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE COMMON APPLICATION IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION OF OVER 1,100 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE GLOBE COMMITTED TO ACCESS, EQUITY, AND INTEGRITY IN THE COLLEGE ADMISSION PROCESS. EVERY YEAR, OVER 1.5 MILLION STUDENTS FROM MORE THAN 200 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES ONE-THIRD BEING THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES TO ATTEND COLLEGE UTILIZE ITS ONLINE PLATFORM TO SUBMIT OVER 10 MILLION UNDERGRADUATE APPLICATIONS TO MEMBER INSTITUTIONS. BUILDING ON ITS 50-YEAR HISTORY OF REDUCING FRICTION IN THE COLLEGE PROCESS, COMMON APP WORKS TO CLOSE THE GAP IN STUDENTS FROM LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COMMUNITIES USING THE PLATFORM.
- Income
- $65.8 million
- Spending
- $53.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 18.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 95%
- Employees
- 196
- Volunteers
- 105
- Highest pay
- $854,905, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 18.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 15% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 19% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6616 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 17 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $44.3 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE OCOMMON APP'S MISSION TO ADVANCE ACCESS, EQUITY, AND INTEGRITY IN THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT IS TODAY. WE HAVE SEVERAL INITIATIVES UNDERWAY TO HELP MORE STUDENTS ACCESS, AFFORD, AND ATTAIN POSTSECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES.WHILE 1.5 MILLION STUDENTS USE COMMON APP EACH YEAR TO APPLY FOR POSTSECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES, THERE IS MORE WORK TO DO. OUR DATA SHOW THAT LOW-INCOME APPLICANTS ARE STILL SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN COMMON APP'S APPLICANT POOL, AND THROUGHOUT FY25, WE CONTINUED TO WORK TOWARD OUR MOONSHOT OF CLOSING THE GAP IN STUDENTS FROM LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COMMUNITIES ACCESSING POSTSECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES.COMMON APP STRIVES TO BE A TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR OUR MEMBER COLLEGES, STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT STUDENTS NAVIGATING THE APPLICATION PROCESS. TOGETHER, WE CAN HELP ALL STUDENTS ACCESS, AFFORD, AND ATTAIN OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE SEVERAL INITIATIVES IN FLIGHT THAT WILL HELP US REACH OUR MOONSHOT, INCLUDING:- REIMAGINING COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TO BE MORE SIMPLE, LOGICAL, AND JOYFUL - CONNECTING STUDENTS TO FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES, INFORMATION, AND OPPORTUNITIES- DELIVERING TAILORED INSIGHTS TO EXPAND OUTREACHTHROUGHOUT FY25, WE CONTINUED SEVERAL INITIATIVES TO WORK TOWARD THAT MOONSHOT GOAL. REIMAGINING COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TO BE MORE SIMPLE, LOGICAL, AND JOYFULDIRECT ADMISSIONSDIRECT ADMISSIONS IS DESIGNED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND HIGHER EDUCATION BY PROACTIVELY ADMITTING STUDENTS INTO COLLEGE. COMMON APP'S PROGRAM IDENTIFIES FIRST-GENERATION AND MIDDLE- AND LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WHO MEET THE ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS OF PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS, AND INFORMS THOSE STUDENTS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CONDITIONALLY ACCEPTED TO A GIVEN INSTITUTION BASED ON THEIR QUALIFICATIONS. IN ITS SECOND YEAR AS A FULL-SCALE PROGRAM, COMMON APP DIRECT ADMISSIONS PARTNERED WITH 119 MEMBER INSTITUTIONS ACROSS 35 STATES TO SERVE MORE THAN 700,000+ FIRST-GENERATION AND LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. OUR RESULTS SHOW:- 22% OF STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED OFFERS ADDED AT LEAST 1 COLLEGE THEY WEREN'T ALREADY CONSIDERING - 3 IN 4 STUDENTS WHO CHOSE TO ADD A COLLEGE THAT SENT THEM AN OFFER ENDED UP ACTUALLY APPLYING - 32% HIGHER APPLICATION RATES AMONG STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED A DIRECT ADMISSIONS OFFER COMPARED TO THOSE WHO DID NOT - STUDENTS WITH THE GREATEST BARRIERS (FEE WAIVER ELIGIBLE, FIRST-GENERATION) ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO ENGAGEAT THE STATE LEVEL, COMMON APP PARTNERED AGAIN WITH THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT THROUGH THE CONNECTICUT STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (CSCU) TO OFFER TENS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS IN THE STATE DIRECT ADMISSIONS TO BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS THROUGH THEIR CONNECTICUT AUTOMATIC ADMISSIONS PROGRAM (CAAP). COMMON APP ALSO LAUNCHED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE OF ILLINOIS THROUGH ITS "ONE CLICK COLLEGE ADMIT" PROGRAM TO OFFER THOUSANDS OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS IN THE STATE DIRECT ADMISSIONS.STUDENT CONTEXT PILOTWE ALSO CONTINUED OUR STUDENT CONTEXT INVENTORY, WHICH GIVES STUDENTS THE OPTION TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN A CHECKLIST-STYLE SECTION OF THE APPLICATION. THIS CHECKLIST ALLOWS STUDENTS TO THINK MORE BROADLY ABOUT THE VALUABLE EXPERIENCE THEY BRING TO THE TABLE, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING COMMON APP MEMBERS THE ABILITY TO EVALUATE A STUDENT'S ACADEMIC RECORD IN A BROADER CONTEXT. THIS SIGNALS TO STUDENTS THAT THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES MATTER. OUR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT MOST STUDENTS ARE WILLING TO ENGAGE WITH THE OPTIONAL STUDENT CONTEXT INVENTORY QUESTION, AND THE QUESTION RESPONSE OPTIONS ARE STRONGLY RELATED TO COMMON INDICATORS OF LOW-INCOME AND FIRST-GENERATION STATUS.CONNECTING STUDENTS TO FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES, INFORMATION, AND OPPORTUNITIESWE KNOW AFFORDABILITY IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS TO COLLEGE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO COME FROM LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME FAMILIES. TO HELP MORE STUDENTS FROM LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COMMUNITIES REACH THEIR POSTSECONDARY GOALS, COMMON APP IS CONNECTING COLLEGE APPLICANTS WITH FINANCIAL AID OPPORTUNITIES AND UPFRONT COST INFORMATION. THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH TWO NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP AGGREGATORS, OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM CONNECTS STUDENTS WITH SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR BASED ON THEIR COMMON APP DATA, HELPING SCHOLARSHIP PARTNERS BETTER REACH AND SERVE UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS. IN FY25, WE EXPANDED OUR REACH FROM 89K STUDENTS IN FY24 TO 1.5M STUDENTS. PARTICIPATING SCHOLARSHIP PARTNERS AWARDED OVER $5.5M TO FIRST-GENERATION AND LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WHOSE DECISION TO APPLY WAS LIKELY INFLUENCED BY COMMON APP OUTREACH. FURTHER RESULTS SHOW:- STUDENTS MATCHED WITH A MEDIAN OF 14 OPPORTUNITIES IN FY25, UP FROM 2 IN FY24.- FIRST-GENERATION AND BELOW-MEDIAN-INCOME STUDENTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO ACT ON THEIR SCHOLARSHIP MATCHES. 32% OF ALL STUDENTS ACTED ON AT LEAST ONE MATCH, COMPARED TO 37% OF FIRST-GENERATION AND 38% OF BELOW-MEDIAN-INCOME STUDENTS.EACH YEAR, COMMON APP MEMBER INSTITUTIONS WAIVE THEIR APPLICATION FEES FOR STUDENTS WHO MEET OUR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, SUCH AS RECEIVING FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH, OR IF THE STUDENT LIVES IN SUBSIDIZED HOUSING. IN FY25, THESE WAIVERS REPRESENTED NEARLY $179 MILLION IN SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION.DELIVERING TAILORED INSIGHTS TO EXPAND OUTREACHIN FY25, COMMON APP'S DATA ANALYTICS AND RESEARCH TEAM PUBLISHED SEVERAL RESEARCH REPORTS THAT HAVE HELPED IDENTIFY POTENTIAL BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE COLLEGE ACCESS. THESE REPORTS HAVE RANGED FROM TRACKING PERSISTENCE IN STEMM DEGREES, UNDERSTANDING HOW STUDENTS WHO DON'T FOLLOW "TRADITIONAL" PATHS APPLY AND ENROLL IN COLLEGE, AND OUR DEADLINE UPDATES, WHICH PROVIDE TIMELY INSIGHTS ON FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE APPLICATION TRENDS.IN FY25, WE LAUNCHED OUR FIRST-EVER CALL FOR RESEARCH PROPOSALS FROM THE BROADER SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COMMUNITY. THIS NEW PROCESS IS MEANT TO MOBILIZE NEW PERSPECTIVES, SKILL SETS, EXPERTISE, AND RESOURCES. IT AIMS TO ENRICH OUR DAT
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 2002.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.