College Scorecard (2024)

FAQs

Is a College Scorecard accurate? ›

On the plus side, the College Scorecard data has a sample size that is about 10 times larger and covers an additional 4000 colleges, including many community colleges with no Payscale data. Thus, the scorecard is likely to be more accurate than Payscale, while filling major gaps in coverage.

The scorecard aims to effectively compare metrics of institutions such as completion rate, cost of attendance, student loans, and financial aid so that prospective students can make educated decisions about higher education and how it will affect their future.

The Niche College Compare Tool can help you figure out what colleges to consider and easily add them to your list of colleges with the heart icon. If you want to get even more information about a college and read reviews from students, the full Niche Profile for the college is just a click away.

However, a 2.5 GPA is generally considered below average for most colleges and universities, and selective schools typically look for applicants with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. A lower GPA like a 2.5 can limit your options when applying to colleges, especially more competitive schools.

While GPA is gaining more importance in college admissions decisions, as some schools deemphasize test scores, that doesn't mean you should neglect standardized testing. While the SAT and ACT aren't the best indicator of your success in college, they generally remain an important part of the admission process.

The answer to what college has the lowest acceptance rate is the same as what ivy league college has the lowest acceptance rate: Harvard. While all Ivies are known for having some of the lowest college acceptance rates of all colleges, Harvard has generally been the most selective.

Average student loan debt in America

As of the third quarter of 2023, Americans owed $1.74 trillion in education debt. 51% of 2021-22 bachelor's degree recipients graduated with an average of $29,400 in student loan debt. Among all borrowers, the average student loan debt in 2023 was $38,290.

The U.S. News college rankings are viewed as the gold standard of college ranking lists. Its list is the most well-known and referenced.

In Scoir, you can compare colleges side-by-side to compare key aspects of each college to one another.

What is the most credible University ranking website? ›

THE (Times Higher Education) has been providing trusted performance data on universities for students and their families, academics, university leaders, governments and industry, since 2004.

The most obvious place to look for this information is the website of the college itself. Many schools have pages within their admissions site with information on application numbers, admission rates, median GPAs, and test scores from the most-recently admitted class, and more.

While US News rankings of colleges purport to be highly accurate, they can be misleading in certain important respects. If you make decisions based purely on the US News college rankings, you might end up being miserable.

A: In most cases, no. Most colleges participate in Score Choice, which allows you to choose which scores you want to send to them. You can choose your best test (or tests, if your highest section scores are spread across multiple exams), and colleges will see only those when they evaluate your application.

It is a common misconception that getting good grades determines everything about a student's post-undergrad career, though. According to Forbes, there is no substantial link between getting good grades in college and earning a high income.