Crime & Safety
Most Large U.S. College Campuses Report At Least 2 Sexual Assaults A Year. Experts Say The Data Undercounts Victimization.
More than 80% of the largest four-year colleges and universities reported incidents of rape or fondling at least twice a year, on average.
October 9, 2026
Jane Doe in the Cornell University case is one of more than 45,000 people who have reported being raped or sexually assaulted to their college or university between 2019 and 2024, according to federal data — and experts say that number wildly undercounts campus sexual violence.
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More than 80% of the largest four-year colleges and universities reported incidents of rape or fondling at least twice a year, on average, between 2019 and 2024, according to CBS News' analysis of the data that schools reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
That includes 238 incidents reported at Cornell during that 6-year timeframe, the data shows, or an average of 8 incidents per 5,000 students each year. That's compared to an average rate of about 4 incidents per 5,000 students each year across all large schools with at least that many students enrolled.
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