American colleges recorded 8,227 reported rapes in 2024, according to federal and state crime data reviewed by the New York Post. The figures show that elite New York institutions, including Columbia University, Cornell University, and New York University, logged high volumes of sexual violence incidents alongside large public campuses nationwide.
The University of Utah recorded 146 rape accusations in 2024, the highest count of any campus in the United States according to US Department of Education data. Most of those alleged attacks, specifically 122, took place in campus dormitories. Another 18 incidents reportedly happened in other campus buildings, and six occurred in off-campus property run by the school or a student organization.
The University of Colorado Boulder followed with 96 reported rapes in 2024. Ohio State University recorded 67 cases. Other institutions in the national top 10 included Penn State University with 57 cases, UCLA with 52 cases, the University of California Santa Cruz with 46 cases, the University of California Santa Barbara and Indiana University with 43 cases each, the University of Kansas with 39 cases, and the University of Kentucky with 37 cases.
Columbia University Records Highest Incidents in New York
In New York, Columbia University logged 262 reported incidents of sexual violence in 2024 under state reporting rules that combine sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. Within that total, the institution recorded 21 reported rapes on campus, all located in residence halls.
A Post analysis found that Columbia investigated only three of the 262 incidents reported to its Title IX coordinator in 2024. A single case resulted in the expulsion of the accused student. Over a seven-year period from 2018 to 2024, Columbia investigated an average of nine per cent of its 1,202 total reported cases, with 17 cases—amounting to one per cent—resulting in disciplinary action.
These figures follow a history of campus activism, including student Emma Sulkowicz carrying her mattress across campus in 2015 to protest the university’s handling of her reported 2012 rape allegation against classmate Paul Nungesser, who was cleared after a university investigation.
New York and Cornell universities log high numbers of sexual violence reports
New York University reported 229 cases of sexual violence in 2024, investigating 28 of them and issuing disciplinary action in 10 cases. SUNY Albany followed with 217 cases, and SUNY Binghamton recorded 198 cases.
Cornell University logged 166 reported cases of sexual violence in 2024, the same year an alleged drug-fueled gang rape occurred at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October. The university investigated 18 cases that year and took disciplinary action in 11, resulting in three expulsions and four suspensions. Two individuals accused in the Chi Phi gang rape were expelled, and two others received one-year suspensions, according to the university president. The university faced backlash after a lawsuit from an alleged victim argued that some accused individuals were permitted to return to campus after writing essays about the incident.
Campus sex offense reports surge nearly fivefold over decade
Reported sex offenses on college campuses increased nearly fivefold over the past decade. Research indicates that a small minority of sexual assault reports, between two per cent and 10 per cent, are false, such as the Duke University lacrosse case.
The number should be taken seriously, while being understood for what it is: a count of reports, not the full picture,
psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert, author of Therapy Nation, told the New York Post. Reports aren’t convictions, and the figure can’t possibly tell us how many assaults went unreported.
Reporting on campus often carries social risks when the accused is a classmate, friend, or member of the same student group.
Frequently Asked Questions About Campus Crime Data
Why do New York colleges report higher totals than federal data shows?
New York state reporting rules require colleges to track a combined tally of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking, whereas federal data primarily tracks specific offenses like rape.
How many rape reports did the University of Utah log in 2024?
The 36,894-student public university recorded 146 rape accusations in 2024, with 122 of those alleged attacks occurring in campus dormitories.
What disciplinary rate did Columbia University record for reported sexual violence?
Over the seven-year period from 2018 to 2024, an average of nine per cent of Columbia’s 1,202 total reported cases were investigated, and just one per cent—totaling 17 cases—resulted in disciplinary action.
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