In 2015, 9 of 10 colleges, universities reported no campus rapes. But was that the truth?

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 11:  Students and members of the administration at Howard University hold a rally against sexual assault on the campus of the university April 11, 2016 in Washington, DC. The rally was held as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.  (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Credit: Win McNamee

Credit: Win McNamee

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 11: Students and members of the administration at Howard University hold a rally against sexual assault on the campus of the university April 11, 2016 in Washington, DC. The rally was held as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Nine out of 10 universities and colleges reported no campus rapes in 2015, according to an analysis of federal data released Wednesday by the American Association of University Women.

But the association sharply questioned whether the 11,000 U.S. colleges included in the analysis were doing enough to encourage victims to report sexual violence.

"If these numbers were accurate there'd be cause for celebration, but we know for a fact they're not," Lisa M. Maatz, the association's vice president of government relations and advocacy, said in a statement. "These numbers don't reflect campus climate surveys and academic research, let alone what we've heard from students themselves."

Data on campus sexual violence varies widely. One 2006 study frequently cited by the Obama administration found that 19 percent of female college students have been sexually assaulted, while a 2014 Department of Justice study put the figure at less than 1 percent.

The university women's association analyzed 2015 campus crime data reported to the U.S. Department of Education under the federal Clery Act.

The analysis also found that about 9 percent of campuses reported at least one incident of domestic violence, about 10 percent reported dating violence and about 13 percent reported stalking.

"The data tell us that students don't feel comfortable coming forward with their experiences," Maatz said.

She said the numbers underscored the continued need for "robust enforcement" of Title IX, the ban on sex discrimination by schools receiving federal funds. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights stepped up enforcement of Title IX under the Obama administration, but it is unclear whether Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will continue to do so.

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