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Common App’s Next Chapter: 2026 impact report

Common App

2026

A young man is smiling at the camera.

Following the 2022-23 academic season, Common App set its moonshot goal to close the gap in students from low- and middle-income communities applying to college through its platform. The Next Chapter impact report is a publication that provides updates on progress, overviews of what we’ve learned, and potential next steps to continue narrowing the gap.

2024–2025 highlights:

  • Over 471k students from low- and middle-income communities were reached.
  • The share of applicants from below-median income ZIP codes grew to 32%, up from 30% in 2022-23.
  • Of the 471k students from low- and middle-income communities, over 275k were designated first-generation.

This year’s data shows that reaching our ambitious moonshot will require ongoing commitment, innovation, partnership, and shared purpose.

Read the report