Our Data Methodology: How We Ensure Higher Ed Transparency
School Guiders is built on a foundation of radical transparency. Our database is powered by raw, unedited data from 6,400+ institutions, verified and released by the U.S. federal government.
College Scorecard API
Our primary source for Admissions Rates, Average Net Price, and initial Student Debt metrics.
IPEDS Database
The bedrock of our Institutional Characteristics, Demographics, and verified school identities.
Post-Sec Outcomes
Detailed Graduate Salaries tracking (measured at 10 years after entry) and peer-group earnings data.
The ROI Formula
Our Return on Investment calculation determines how quickly a degree "pays for itself" by taking the earnings premium over a high school graduate and dividing it by the actual net price students pay.
Core Data Definitions
Net Price vs. Sticker Price
We prioritize Net Price. This is the amount a student pays after all grants and scholarship aid are deducted from the published total cost of attendance.
Graduate Earnings (10-Year Index)
To ensure long-term accuracy, we track the median earnings of individuals who received federal aid exactly 10 years after they first started college.
Admission Selectivity
Derived by dividing the number of admitted students by the number of total applicants, as reported in the latest IPEDS fall enrollment cycle.
View the data in action
Experience our methodology by comparing real-time stats between any two U.S. colleges.