Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

State-level common applications simplify admissions by allowing students to submit a single application to multiple institutions. Using difference-in-differences, this cross-state study estimates the effect of common applications on postsecondary enrollment. We observe large increases in total enrollment following introduction of state-level common applications.

Common applications are expected to increase applications and subsequent enrollment by simplifying the college-application process. A number of states use common applications, but programmatic parameters vary—as do the number of institutions participating in each program. While common applications have been studied (Hoover, 2014; Liu, Ehrenberg, & Mrdjenovic, 2007; Murphy, 2010), no cross-state study to-date has considered the impact of state-level common application policies. Therefore, we ask: Does the introduction of a state-level common application policy increase enrollment? Prior research has shown that state policy can shape postsecondary opportunities (Delaney, 2014; Perna & Titus, 2004), and simplifications to the college-application process can benefit students, especially those who are low-income, first-generation, and of color (Dynarski, Libassi, Michelmore, & Owen, 2018; Hoxby & Avery, 2013; Hoxby & Turner, 2013). Our conceptual model is derived from the college-choice literature and considers a state-level common application as removing a search barrier for students (Avery & Kane, 2004).

We employ a difference-in-difference empirical strategy and focus on the year in which a state-level common application was first available to students, with a primary outcome of FTE enrollment. We ensure our data adhere to underlying assumptions of a DID strategy via parallel-trend plots, placebo tests, and the inclusion of state-specific linear time trends (Angrist & Pischke, 2009; Wolfers, 2006). We also include important controls in our models: indicators of state economic contexts (Betts & McFarland, 1995), measures of educational attainment, political indexes (McLendon, Hearn, & Mokher, 2009), and fiscal-context indicators (Leslie & Ramey, 1986; Zumeta et al., 2012). Data were compiled from a number of publicly-available, state-level sources, and the resulting dataset is a time-series panel of 49 states spanning 1985-2015.

Across unconditional and fully-specified models, we find robust evidence to suggest state-level common applications significantly increase college enrollments: Approximately 166,000 more FTE students enroll in states with state-level common application systems than states without. Other factors shown to significantly influence FTE enrollment levels include income skewness (Gini, p<0.01) and state unemployment (p<0.10). Overall, our study provides evidence to suggest the introduction of a state-level common application yields higher overall enrollment, and the DID design allows for a more-rigorous, quasi-experimental analysis comparing states with common application systems to states without, and states to themselves both before and after introduction of a common application.

A common application makes it easier for students to apply to multiple campuses, and this study finds overall enrollment in a state significantly increases following introduction of a common application. These findings suggest common applications may be a low-cost mechanism to increase postsecondary enrollment and ameliorate persistent gaps in college applications and attendance. Future research should explore heterogeneous effects across socioeconomic and racial subgroups and further explore the relationship between common applications and subsequent student behaviors, including out-of-state migration.