Arlington, VA - On Saturday, August 1, Common App will launch the 2026-2027 application season with more than 1,200 colleges and universities worldwide. Building on over 50 years of simplifying the college application process, Common App continues to work with its members and partners to make applying to college more accessible, transparent, and student-centered.
\n\nEach year, millions of students, teachers, and counselors use the Common App platform to navigate the college application process and connect with postsecondary opportunities. As the organization continues its Next Chapter work, Common App remains focused on advancing innovation that helps more students access and succeed in higher education.
\n\n“We are so excited to kick off our 2026-2027 application season with over 60 new members, including 23 community colleges,“ said Common App CEO Jenny Rickard. “Common App's launch always serves as a time to recenter on one goal: simplifying and bringing some joy to the application experience to provide students with postsecondary opportunities.”
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"}},{"__typename":"paragraph__plain_area_text","field_title":null,"field_text":{"processed":"Updates to the 2026-2027 Common App
\n\nFollowing continued growth of the program—including more than 200 participating institutions for the 2025-2026 cycle—Common App will expand Direct Admissions opportunities for students in the new application season, with a focus on reaching first-generation and low- and middle-income students. Common App will make a formal announcement about the 2026-27 program and its participants in the coming weeks.
\n\nCommon App will also continue connecting students with scholarship opportunities directly through the application. After matching nearly 1.5 million students with scholarship opportunities during the previous application season, Common App remains committed to helping students discover resources that support college affordability.
\n\nThis year’s Common App features key changes aimed at making the application more welcoming to independent learners. Learners who will be 23+ years old by the end of the cycle year or self-indicate they meet FAFSA’s definition of independence will no longer provide demographic information (name, contact info, educational institutions, job, etc.) about parents or siblings, and can share their household composition; all learners can continue reporting whether they have children.
\n\nThe activities section of My Common Application will be renamed activities and experiences, with fields that better capture a breadth of commitments beyond high school.
\n\nNew members for the 2026-2027 application season
\n\nCommon App is welcoming 64 new members, including 23 Illinois community colleges, to the platform for the 2026-2027 application season, expanding opportunities for students to apply to colleges and universities across the country and around the world.
\n\n“Lake Land College is excited to join the Common App as part of the statewide initiative to make the college application process more accessible for students,” said Heather Nohren, VP of student services at Lake Land College. “We look forward to extending our reach to prospective students, providing a simpler path to enrollment, and helping students discover the value of a Lake Land College education through our partnership with the Common App.”
\n\nThe new members for the 2026-2027 application season are listed below:
\n\nMid-Atlantic
\nBay Atlantic University (DC)
\nCommunity College of Baltimore County (MD)
\nGeorgetown University (DC)
\nNewU University (DC)
\nYeshiva University (NY)
Mid-West
\nBaker University (KS)
\nBethel University (IN)
\nDanville Area Community College (IL)
\nElgin Community College (IL)
\nHeartland Community College (IL)
\nHighland Community College (IL)
\nIllinois Central College (IL)
\nIllinois Eastern Community Colleges (IL)
\nIndiana University Columbus (IN)
\nIndiana University East (IN)
\nIndiana University Fort Wayne (IN)
\nIndiana University Kokomo (IN)
\nJohn A Logan College (IL)
\nJoliet Junior College (IL)
\nKankakee Community College (IL)
\nKaskaskia College (IL)
\nLake Land College (IL)
\nLewis and Clark Community College (IL)
\nMoraine Valley Community College (IL)
\nMorton College (IL)
\nMinneapolis College of Art and Design (MN)
\nNorth Central University (MN)
\nParkland College (IL)
\nPrairie State College (IL)
\nRichland Community College (IL)
\nRochester Christian University (MI)
\nRock Valley College (IL) Shawnee Community College (IL)
\nSpoon River College (IL)
\nSoutheastern Illinois College (IL)
\nSouth Suburban College (IL)
\nSouthwest Baptist University (MO)
\nWaubonsee Community College (IL)
New England
\nSattler College (MA)
South
\nAlbizu University-Miami (FL)
\nAllen University (SC)
\nGeorgia Southwestern State University (GA)
\nTrinity College of Jacksonville (FL)
\nUniversity of West Georgia (GA)
South-West
\nLeTourneau University (TX)
\nOuachita Baptist University (AR)
\nTexas A&M University - Corpus Christi (TX)
\nTexas A&M University - Victoria (TX)
West
\nBiola University (CA)
\nCorban University (OR)
\nGrand Canyon University (AZ)
\nHeritage University (WA)
\nLaguna College of Art + Design (CA)
\nUniversity of Providence (MT)
\nVanguard University of Southern California (CA)
International
\nAbertay University (SCT)
\nGeorgetown University in Qatar (QAT)
\nLondon Metropolitan University (GBR)
\nThe American University in Cairo (EGY)
\nThe American University of Florence (ITA)
\nUlster University (IRL)
\nUniversity of Bath (GBR)
\nUniversidad Privada Boliviana (BOL)
\nUniversity of Strathclyde (SCT)
Common App is a not-for-profit member organization committed to the pursuit of access, equity, and integrity in the college admission process. Each year, more than one million students apply to college through the Common App’s online application.
\n\nFounded in 1975, Common App serves over 1,200 member colleges and universities worldwide. To learn more, visit commonapp.org and follow @CommonApp and #CommonApp on social media.
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