Common App applicants sent an average of 7.06 applications in 2025–26, and the College Board suggests a list of six to eight, mixing reaches, matches and at least one safety. The right number for you is the one where every college on it is a place you would be glad to attend.
Where this information comes from
The averages come from Common App's End-of-Season Report for 2025–26, published August 20, 2026, which counts every first-year application submitted through Common App to its 1,146 member colleges. The suggested list size and the definitions of reach, match and safety come from the College Board's BigFuture help center and College Board blog, read in October 2026. The 20-college limit comes from Common App's help center. Application and score-sending costs come from the colleges and testing agencies, as published in the Lens fee waiver guide. Common App counts only applications sent through Common App, so students who also apply through other platforms or college portals apply to more colleges than these averages show.
How many colleges students apply to now
Students are applying to more colleges each year. Applications per Common App applicant rose 49% between 2016–17 and 2025–26.
| Application year | Applicants on Common App | Applications per applicant |
|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | — | 6.64 |
| 2024–25 | 1,495,475 | 6.79 |
| 2025–26 | 1,527,328 | 7.06 |
Source: Common App End-of-Season Reports, 2024–25 and 2025–26. The 2025–26 report revised the 2024–25 figures slightly; this table uses the revised numbers.
An average is not advice. It mixes students who send two applications with students who send twenty, and it says nothing about whether those lists were well chosen.
What the College Board suggests
BigFuture suggests at least six colleges: three reaches, two matches and one safety. The College Board's blog puts the total at six to eight, adds that "it depends," and suggests adding a school or two in any category where you feel unsure. Counselors use these terms often. They are common practice, not rules, and here is how BigFuture defines them:
| Category | BigFuture's definition |
|---|---|
| Reach | Your SAT score, ACT score or estimated GPA is lower than the typical range of last year's first-year class |
| Match | Your scores or GPA are solidly within that range |
| Safety | Your scores or GPA are above that range |
At colleges that admit only a small share of applicants, many students with scores in the typical range are not admitted, so a college can be a reach for almost everyone. If you want to see where your scores sit, the Lens guide What Is a Good SAT Score? explains score ranges.
The limit, and the cost
Common App lets you add and apply to up to 20 colleges. You can add or remove a college at any point before you submit to it; once you submit, it stays on your list.
Each application can carry costs. Many colleges charge nothing to apply; others charge a fee, such as Penn's $75. SAT scores go free to four colleges if you choose them within nine days of the test, and cost $15 per college after that. You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships, and if your family's income qualifies, fee waivers from the College Board, ACT, Common App and NACAC can cover tests, score reports and application fees. The Lens guide SAT, ACT and College Application Fee Waivers explains who qualifies.
Small costs change what students do. When ACT increased its free score reports from three to four in 1997, students began sending scores to more colleges, and lower-income students applied to, and enrolled at, more selective ones (Pallais, 2015). If cost is the only thing keeping a college off your list, look into a waiver before you take it off.
How to choose your number
- Start with what you need from a place. Size, distance from home, the kind of classes and the kind of people you hope to find. A list built on these is easier to trim than one built on names.
- Include colleges at each level. Use BigFuture's reach, match and safety categories as a check, not a formula.
- Make sure you would be glad to attend every college on the list, including the ones where admission is likely. A safety you would dread is not really a safety.
- Check the price, not only the admission odds. Run each college's net price calculator before you apply. Sticker price and what families actually pay can be very different; see Sticker Price vs. Net Price.
- Count the work. Each college may ask for its own essays. A shorter list leaves more time to write each application with care.
- Plan your early applications. If you apply early decision, you may need fewer applications in the end. The Lens guide Early Decision vs. Early Action explains the difference.
Frequently asked questions
How many colleges should I apply to? The College Board suggests six to eight, including reaches, matches and at least one safety, and Common App applicants averaged 7.06 applications in 2025–26.
What is the average number of colleges students apply to? 7.06 applications per applicant on Common App in 2025–26, up from 6.79 the year before. Students who also apply outside Common App apply to more.
Is applying to 10 colleges too many? Not necessarily. It can make sense if your list leans toward colleges that admit few applicants, or if you are comparing financial aid offers. The question to ask is whether you would be glad to attend each one and can write a careful application for each.
Is applying to 20 colleges too many? Twenty is Common App's limit. Lists that long are hard to research well and can add up in fees and essays. If your list is growing past ten or twelve, it may help to ask what each added college offers that the others don't.
How many safety schools should I apply to? BigFuture suggests at least one. Many counselors suggest one or two you would be happy to attend and can afford.
How many reach schools should I apply to? BigFuture's sample list has three reaches out of six. There is no rule; reaches work best when each one is a place you genuinely want, not only a well-known name.
Can I apply to more than 20 colleges? Not through Common App, which allows up to 20. Some colleges accept other applications, such as their own portal or the Coalition application, which Common App's limit does not cover.
Related
- Out-of-state acceptance rates at public universities
- What College Should I Go To? What the Research Says Matters Most
- Early Decision vs. Early Action
- SAT, ACT and College Application Fee Waivers
- Sticker Price vs. Net Price
- Big School or Small College?
Lens helps you understand which kinds of colleges fit you, using seven research-backed assessments, so the list you build starts with who you are rather than with how many names it holds. Start with Lens →
A good list is not measured by its length. It is a handful of places where you can picture yourself on an ordinary Tuesday, and a reason to look forward to each one.
Sources
- Common App, End-of-Season Report, 2025–2026: First-Year Application Trends (August 20, 2026)
- Common App, End-of-Season Report, 2024–2025
- Common App help center, How many colleges can I add to My colleges list?
- College Board BigFuture, How many colleges should be on your college list?
- College Board, How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?
- University of Pennsylvania, First-year application requirements
- College Board, SAT test fees
- Pallais, A. (2015). Small Differences That Matter: Mistakes in Applying to College. Journal of Labor Economics, 33(2).