University of Utah leads U.S. colleges in reported rapes, Columbia shows lowest investigation rate

A review of federal and state crime statistics revealed 8,227 rape reports at U.S. colleges in 2024, highlighting a sharp rise over the past decade. The University of Utah led with 146 accusations, most occurring in dormitories, while the University of Colorado Boulder reported 96 cases and Ohio State University 67. Ten schools, including Penn State, UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, Indiana University, University of Kansas and University of Kentucky, rounded out the national top ten.

In New York, Columbia University logged 262 sexual-violence incidents but investigated only three, resulting in a single expulsion, marking the poorest disciplinary record among large state schools. NYU, SUNY Albany, SUNY Binghamton and Cornell also reported hundreds of cases, with Cornell investigating 18 and taking action in 11. Experts caution that these figures reflect reports, not convictions, and many assaults remain unreported.