Safety stats? Most dangerous college campuses per capita

I'm in the process of determining where I want to apply for colleges, and I'd really like to understand the safety landscape better. Is there any resource that provides information on the most dangerous college campuses per capita?

To assess the safety of a college campus, a good starting point could be the Clery Act reports, which federal law requires colleges and universities receiving federal funding to publish. The Clery Act mandates that any such institution must disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. These reports often include incidents of crimes, such as burglaries, car thefts, sexual offenses, and sometimes even minor offenses like vandalism. However, the reports do not provide a per-capita analysis which may influence the outcomes considering larger college campuses may mechanically have more incidents than smaller ones.

The Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education provides the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool, which allows you to search for and access safety statistics for specific colleges. It is a valuable resource to investigate the safety statistics for individual colleges. Keep in mind, however, that "safety" comprises a range of issues, from common crime to sexual assault to mental health support.

For a more systematic overview with a ranking approach in terms of per capita crime on college campuses, private organizations, and news outlets occasionally compile such statistics, but you may want to approach these with a critical eye. They may have different methodologies and might focus on different aspects of campus safety.

Please note that while these statistics provide valuable information, they might not entirely capture the safety level on a given campus, nor are they the only important consideration for choosing a college. Campus culture, support services, local community engagement, and your comfort level on the campus should also play a significant role in your decision-making process.