Federal College Scorecard: What Students and Parents Need to Know

With almost 6,000 colleges and universities in the United States, comparing each one carefully would take you decades! However, the federal “College Scorecard” is an excellent resource to learn about the statistics of a college – from the first-year retention rate to typical earnings after graduation. Here’s a look at how the College Scorecard can help you find the right school for your goals, and how College Raptor’s services align to assist you, too.

What Is the Federal College Scorecard?

These extracurricular activities can impress a college admissions board.The College Scorecard contains statistical reports on all of the colleges and universities within the United States. It’s designed to help you weigh the quality of each to better decide where you should invest. The name can be a bit deceiving – the Scorecard isn’t the same as “college rankings,” which state the best schools each year.

What Data Is in the Federal College Scorecard?

You can find a whole host of interesting and informative data through the College Scorecard. Here’s a quick overlook at what it includes:

  • Basic information. Each Scorecard explains what type of school it is, its size, and where it’s located. For example, Yale University is a 4-year, private nonprofit located in the city of New Haven, CT. It’s a medium school, with between 2,000 and 15,000 undergraduates.
  • Annual cost. You can see how much a particular school will cost you per year on average and how that compares to other colleges. The resource also highlights the annual average cost per family income.
  • Median earnings. The Scorecard uses 10-year data to determine median earnings for those who received federal financial aid from each school. You can see how one school compares to another and what percentage of students are receiving more earnings than high school graduates.
  • Fields of study. Each school has a list of the top majors according to largest size, highest earnings, and lowest debt. There is also a full list of all fields of study available at the school and the types of degrees offered.
  • Graduation and retention rates. Graduation and retention rates highlight how likely a student is going to graduate within a set period, how many students stay on after they complete their first year of college, and how those rates compare to other schools.
  • Campus diversity. This section contains data on student-to-faculty ratios, socio-economic diversity, race/ethnicity, and the number of students currently attending full-time vs. part time.
  • Acceptance rates. The Scorecard shows each college’s acceptance rate as well as the average SAT/ACT scores of accepted students.
  • Federal aid and debt. You can view how many students receive federal loans, the median debt upon graduation, average monthly payments, and how students are doing financially as they pay back their loans.

This table provides a snapshot of three schools’ data using the College Scorecard (as of April, 2025):

Undergrads Retention rate1 Graduation rate Average student debt Avg cost, $75k-$110k income1 Average ACT
Yale University 6,811 99% 97% $12,975 $17,004 33-35
University of Denver 6,059 88% 75% $21,844 $30,753 29-32
University at Albany 12,100 83% 68% $19,500 $20,811 N/A

1 Each school reports avg. cost by income range. This table shows the average costs for families with incomes of $75,001-$110,000/year. Average price for state schools is for in-state students only, so if you are an Iowan who wants to go to a UC school, the average price listed does NOT apply to you.

How Does the Scorecard Get Its Data?

Some of College Scorecard’s data comes directly from the institutions’ reporting. You can also find this information and more if your college completes the Common Data Set.

Other information comes from federal financial aid recipients. For instance, the “Median Earnings” datasets come directly from “former students who received federal financial aid… 10 years after entering the school.” So, while this data can be helpful, remember that it’s incomplete. You’re not getting earnings reports from students who didn’t need federal student aid.

How To Use the College Scorecard

Using the College Scorecard is easy. To start, simply search a school you’re interested in or click on the “Search Schools” page. From there, you can use a series of filters on the left-hand side to find colleges and universities that fit what you’re looking for. You’re also able to explore fields of study (or majors) and compare them.

However, keep in mind that while this information and data is valuable, it doesn’t tell the whole picture or highlight your acceptance chances into any particular school. For example, under test scores and acceptance, the Scorecards only list the average test results and acceptance rates. Since college applications are much more than SAT/ACT scores, it doesn’t quite tell you your chances of acceptance. You might have a 32 ACT while applying to the University of Denver, but that doesn’t guarantee an acceptance letter alone.

College Raptor and the College Scorecard

Think of the College Scorecard as one more tool in your arsenal. Use it to discover new schools that interest you, and then use other resources – such as College Raptor, the school’s website, and social media – to go beyond the statistics. You should also always visit a college before you decide to attend! There’s something about being on campus that can speak to you (or not)!

Did you know that College Raptor has full access to the data included in the College Scorecard? Each college and university profile highlights this information and more, so parents and students can easily compare schools, save their favorites, request more information directly from the colleges, and see even more data – all in one place. Want to learn more? Sign up for College Match today to get started.

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