Each year numerous publishers of college guides and other information on colleges send lengthy surveys to colleges and universities. In an effort to standardize and reduce the amount of paperwork required, publishers and the educational community have collaborated to produce a common format (the Common Data Set) for much of the data requested. The publishers heading this effort are The College Board, Peterson's, and U.S. News and World Report.
For background and definitions on the Common Data Set initiative, please visit the Common Data Set web site.