Begin with “reported,” not “occurred”
Clery statistics count incidents reported to campus security authorities or local police within defined geography. Some incidents are never reported. A school with stronger reporting systems or greater trust may record more reports without having a higher underlying prevalence of crime.
Keep the geographies separate
On campus covers buildings and property within the campus boundary. Residence halls are a subset of on-campus property, not an additional category. Non-campus property covers qualifying institution-controlled locations outside the core campus. Public property generally covers immediately adjacent and accessible public areas.
Do not add residence-hall counts to on-campus counts. That double-counts the residence-hall incidents.
Use counts and rates together
Counts show the number of reports. Rates adjust those reports for enrollment. A rate can make schools of different sizes easier to compare, but it does not adjust for campus acreage, residential population, visitors, urban context, or the number of hours students spend on campus.
Small institutions can also have volatile rates: one additional report may produce a large apparent change. Look at all three years before interpreting movement.
Check how many campuses are included
One institution may report several campuses. An institution-level total can therefore describe a much broader footprint than a single compact campus. Navastra preserves reporting-campus records and shows the number included in each institution total.
Compare like with like
Before drawing a conclusion, compare institutions with similar enrollment, residential character, campus structure, and setting. Then inspect categories rather than relying on one combined number. Burglary, motor-vehicle theft, sexual offenses, disciplinary referrals, and arrests describe different questions.
Questions worth asking a college
- How can students report confidentially, and what support follows a report?
- What geography is covered by the published statistics?
- Did reporting practices or campus boundaries change during the three-year period?
- How quickly are timely warnings issued?
- Where can students read the annual security report and daily crime log?
- What prevention, transportation, escort, and survivor-support services are available?
The useful conclusion
Treat Clery data as one layer of due diligence. Use it to identify patterns and better questions, then combine it with the annual security report, crime log, campus visit, student conversations, and the institution’s support policies.
Sources
- Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool - U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education.
- Institutional Reporting and Disclosure Requirements - Federal Student Aid Handbook, 2026-27.