Searching for colleges? Use the College Scorecard!

Data from the IRS, Treasury Department, and the Department of Education was used to create the College Scorecard, a new online comparison tool to help families in the college search process.  Information includes average income earned by alumni, graduate rates, and average cost after financial aid.  Below is our rundown of the Scorecard:
Pros: 
-Lots of data is great! 
-Allows you to compare apples to apples
-Does NOT rank colleges
-Lots of information in one place

Cons:
-Lots of data can be difficult to navigate, despite the attractive graphs
-Not ALL colleges made the list, schools that participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
-Data can only go so far. These numbers do not provide a complete picture of the colleges. 
-No anecdotal information provided so families need to get this "other" info elsewhere and balance it with the data on the Scorecard
-Data is not value-neutral

While the Scorecard is a step in the right direction, it seems to merely take already existing data and present it in a more visually pleasing format.  This data is helpful but is definitely the only tool families should use when searching for colleges.  Riley College Advising is here to help you in this search.

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