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What is the Common App?
Common App online application system is a streamlined college application platform that is used by over 3 million applicants, teachers, and counselors each year. The Common App strives to make college admissions easier to navigate, and more accessible for students around the country.
The Common App was first introduced in 1975. Today roughly 921 colleges and universities use the application for their admissions process.
The 2021-22 Common Application opens on August 1, 2021. The Common App has announced some changes for the 2021-2022 admissions cycle, including a new essay prompts and more inclusive questions around gender and citizenship.
The 64 colleges and universities joining the Common App in 2021 are:
- Austin Peay State University
- Bangor University
- Belmont Abbey College
- Blackburn College
- Charleston Southern University
- Chowan University
- Claflin University
- Clarion University of Pennsylvania
- Cleary University
- Colorado Mesa University
- Colorado School of Mines
- Concordia University- Ann Arbor
- East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
- Eastern Illinois University
- Evangel University
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
- Florida Memorial University
- Fort Lewis College
- Gordon College
- Governors State University
- Grace College
- Greenville University
- Illinois State University
- Indiana State University
- Indiana Tech
- James Madison University
- Lebanese American University
- Lincoln College
- Lincoln University
- Madonna University
- Manor College
- Mississippi College
- Mount Saint Joseph University
- Northeastern Illinois University
- Oral Roberts University
- Oregon Institute of Technology
- Pennsylvania College of Art & Design
- Portland State University
- Pratt Institute
- Rockford University
- Saginaw Valley State University
- Saint Augustine’s University
- South Carolina State University
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville
- St. Mary’s University
- Tecnológico de Monterrey
- Texas A&M University-Commerce
- Texas Wesleyan University
- Towson University
- University of Alabama
- University of Illinois at Springfield
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- University of North Georgia
- University of Northwestern, St. Paul
- University of Saint Katherine
- Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
- Villa Maria College
- Washington State University
- Western Carolina University
- Western Illinois University
- Westfield State University
- Wingate University
- Worcester State University
View a full list of all 921 of the Common App member schools.
Illinois becomes the first state to requires all public 4-year colleges to use the Common App
The newest Common App member schools are in 24 states and four countries. The new international schools include universities in Lebanon, Wales, and Mexico.
Jenny Rickard, President & CEO of Common App said on the Common App blog,
“Key to our mission at Common App is lowering the logistical and systemic barriers to college access. Thanks to our diverse membership, all students, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to apply to the colleges or universities that will help them achieve their best future.”
As part of a statewide push to increase college access, Illinois is now the first state to require all of its 4-year public colleges to accept the Common Application. Illinois is the state with the highest number of new members; 13 of the new Common App colleges are from Illinois.
Explore colleges in all 50 States in the USA
2021 Common App Colleges by State - New Members 2021:
- University of Saint Katherine
- Colorado Mesa University
- Colorado School of Mines
- Fort Lewis College
- Belmont Abbey College
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
- Florida Memorial University
- University of North Georgia
- Blackburn College
- Eastern Illinois University
- Governors State University
- Greenville University
- Illinois State University
- Lincoln College
- Northeastern Illinois University
- Rockford University
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville
- University of Illinois at Springfield
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Western Illinois University
- Grace College
- Indiana State University
- Indiana Tech
- Gordon College
- Westfield State University
- Worcester State University
- Cleary University
- Concordia University- Ann Arbor
- Madonna University
- Saginaw Valley State University
- University of Northwestern, St. Paul
- Pratt Institute
- Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
- Villa Maria College
- Chowan University
- Saint Augustine’s University
- Western Carolina University
- Wingate University
- Mount Saint Joseph University
- Oregon Institute of Technology Oregon
- Portland State University* Oregon
- Clarion University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
- East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
- Lincoln University Pennsylvania
- Manor College Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania College of Art & Design Pennsylvania
- Charleston Southern University South Carolina
- Claflin University South Carolina
- South Carolina State University South Carolina
- Austin Peay State University
- St. Mary’s University Texas
- Texas A&M University-Commerce Texas
- Texas Wesleyan University Texas
James Madison University
- Washington State University
International
- Bangor University - Bangor, Wales
- Lebanese American University - Beruit, Lebanon
- Tecnológico de Monterrey - Monterrey, Mexico
Of the 64 new Common App schools, 12 are in the Mid-Atlantic region:
- Clarion University of Pennsylvania
- East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
- Gordon College
- Lincoln University
- Manor College
- Pennsylvania College of Art & Design
- Pratt Institute*
- Towson University
- Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
- Villa Maria College
- Westfield State University
- Worcester State University
22 of the new Common App Schools are in the Midwest
- Blackburn College
- Cleary University
- Concordia University- Ann Arbor
- Eastern Illinois University
- Governors State University
- Grace College
- Greenville University
- Illinois State University
- Indiana State University
- Indiana Tech
- Lincoln College
- Madonna University
- Mount Saint Joseph University
- Northeastern Illinois University
- Rockford University
- Saginaw Valley State University
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville
- University of Illinois at Springfield
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- University of Northwestern, St. Paul
- Western Illinois University
20 of the New Common App School are located in the Southern United States
- Austin Peay State University
- Belmont Abbey College
- Charleston Southern University
- Chowan University
- Claflin University
- Evangel University
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
- Florida Memorial University
- James Madison University*
- Mississippi College
- Oral Roberts University
- Saint Augustine’s University
- South Carolina State University
- St. Mary’s University
- Texas A&M University-Commerce
- Texas Wesleyan University
- University of Alabama*
- University of North Georgia
- Western Carolina University
- Wingate University
7 of the Common App's New Members are in the West
- Colorado Mesa University
- Colorado School of Mines
- Fort Lewis College
- Oregon Institute of Technology
- Portland State University*
- University of Saint Katherine
- Washington State University
3 of the New Common App Schools Are International
- Bangor University (Wales)
- Lebanese American University (Lebanon)
- Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)