Campus Safety Guides
Everything you need to know about understanding and researching campus safety data — how the Clery Act, enacted in November 1990, defines reportable crimes, how colleges compile their Annual Security Reports, and how to read per-capita campus crime rates.
How to Research Campus Safety Before Choosing a College
A step-by-step guide to using Clery Act data, campus security reports, and other resources to evaluate safety before you enroll.
Understanding Clery Act Crime Statistics
What do the numbers actually mean? Learn how Clery Act data is collected, what counts as a campus crime, and how to read the statistics correctly.
The Safest College Campuses in America
Data-driven analysis of the safest US colleges and universities based on Clery Act incident rates per 1,000 enrolled students.
Campus Safety vs. City Crime: What the Data Shows
A college's crime rate and the surrounding city's crime rate are often very different. Here's how to think about both.
Campus Sexual Assault Prevention: What Students Need to Know
Understanding Title IX protections, reporting mechanisms, and prevention strategies. A data-informed guide to navigating campus sexual assault policies.
Understanding Campus Fire Safety Data
What the fire safety statistics on campus profiles mean, how fire categories work, and what to look for when evaluating residential fire safety at colleges.
A Parent's Guide to Evaluating Campus Safety
How parents can use Clery Act data, campus visits, and institutional policies to evaluate college safety for their student.
Campus Emergency Preparedness: What Every Student Should Know
How colleges prepare for active threats, severe weather, and public health emergencies. What to look for in emergency plans.
Title IX Explained: What It Means for Campus Safety
A plain-language guide to Title IX protections on college campuses — what it covers, how complaints work, and your rights.
How to Read Clery Data on PlainCampus: A Practical Walkthrough
Step-by-step guide to interpreting crime and fire safety data on school profiles. Avoid common pitfalls.
Methodology
Our guides are based on publicly available data from authoritative government sources. All statistics, ratings, and figures cited in these guides are drawn directly from official datasets and publications, with sources clearly referenced throughout.
We aim to present complex government data in plain language that is accessible to general audiences. When methodologies differ between data sources or change over time, we note these variations inline. Our editorial process includes regular reviews to ensure accuracy and timeliness of the information presented.