Safety on campus: What's the most common crime?

I'm trying to research the safety of colleges I want to apply to. What's the most common crime reported on college campuses? How can I find out about the safety stats of a specific college?

The most common crime reported on college campuses is typically theft or burglary. These nonviolent property crimes include instances such as stolen laptops or bikes, which unfortunately happens fairly often.

Finding safety stats for specific colleges is a great idea. You can refer to the Clery Act reports, which are publicly available reports that colleges in the United States are mandated by law to compile and publish. They deal with crime statistics from the past three years and cover crimes that happen on campus, certain off-campus buildings or properties owned or controlled by the school, as well as public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.

You can usually find these reports through a simple Google search of "[college name] Clery report." Additionally, you may want to check the school's safety or campus police webpage, as some institutions post safety statistics there as well.

Remember, though, that the existence of crime statistics doesn't necessarily mean a campus is unsafe. It could simply mean the campus encourages reporting and has good protocols in place for addressing incidents. You might want to look into the various security measures the school employs as well, such as campus police, blue light emergency phone stations, escort services, etc. Colleges want their students to feel safe, and many have numerous precautions and support systems in place to help maintain a secure environment.