1,893 colleges · IPEDS & College Scorecard data

College data,
decoded.

See how hard it is to get in, what scores admitted students have, and who's on campus, in charts instead of spreadsheets. Every term is explained in plain English.

Try:Harvard UCLA Michigan Howard Vanderbilt

1,893

4-year colleges

across 54 states & territories

14.8M

Applications

fall 2024 admissions

58%

Were admitted

pooled across all schools

8.4M

Undergrads

currently enrolled

Start with a question

What kind of school are you after?

35 schools

Within reach

Strong schools admitting 25%+

127 schools

Economic diversity

Highest share of Pell Grant students

531 schools

Low cost, high earnings

Average cost under $25K, ranked by earnings

260 schools

Opportunity colleges

Carnegie's higher access, higher earnings class

84 schools

HBCUs

Historically Black colleges and universities

183 schools

Research universities

R1: very high research activity

The big picture

The admissions landscape

The 400 most-applied-to colleges (of 936 that report both an admit rate and SAT scores) on one chart. Further left means harder to get in; higher up means admitted students have higher . Bigger dots are bigger campuses.

The top-left corner is exclusive: only 10 colleges admit under 5% of applicants, with a median SAT midpoint of 1540.
Big public universities spread across the right, admitting more students at every score level.
Hover or tap any dot to meet the school. Click through to its full profile.

Filter this chart in Explore

PublicPrivateDot size = undergrads

↑ SAT midpoint (higher = higher scores)

Acceptance rate → less selective

Is it worth it?

Cost vs. earnings

What the average student pays each year (counting those who get no grants), against what former students earn ten years after enrolling. The shaded corner is below the national median for ($24.3K) and above it for ($53.8K). 400 most-applied-to of 1,442 colleges shown.

PublicPrivateDot size = undergrads

↑ Median earnings 10 years after entry (higher = more)

Average cost per year, all students (est.) → more expensive

Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-04)

Highest earnings

Median, 10 yrs after entry · 1,000+ undergrads

Most generous aid

Share of full price covered by grants · 1,000+ undergrads

Lowest average cost

All students, per year · 5,000+ undergrads

Over time

What's changed

Ten years of federal data, measured over a of the same colleges at both ends, with money .

All trends

−12%

The price gap. Since 2013–14, what the typical college's first-years actually paid, on average, fell 12% after inflation; its full price held about steady. Across 1,432 colleges reporting both years.

What students paid (average total cost) Full priceMedians, 2013–14 = 100

Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2013–14 to 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2013–14 to 2023–24;inflation: BLS CPI-U, school-year averagesAbout the data(built 2026-10-02; CPI retrieved 2026-10-02)

Compare what colleges cost

+74%

Harder to get in. Applications to today's 100 most selective colleges rose 74% since fall 2014; the number of first-years they enrolled rose 10%.

Applications per enrolled first-year: 11.9 → 18.7

Source:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2014 to Fall 2024About the data(built 2026-10-02; CPI retrieved 2026-10-02)

See the most selective colleges

Test-optional went mainstream. In fall 2019, 66% of colleges required the SAT or ACT. In fall 2024, 5% did, across 1,511 colleges reporting both years. Score ranges now describe only the students who chose to send them.

Fall 201966%

Fall 20245%

Share of colleges requiring the SAT or ACT

Source:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2019 to Fall 2024About the data(built 2026-10-02; CPI retrieved 2026-10-02)

The full study

Fewer colleges weigh legacy. 88 colleges stopped considering whether an applicant's parent attended between fall 2022 and fall 2024, and 17 started, across 1,559 colleges reporting both years. has been reported to the federal government only since fall 2022.

Fall 202232%

Fall 202428%

Share of colleges considering legacy status

Source:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2022 to Fall 2024About the data(built 2026-10-02; CPI retrieved 2026-10-02)

See colleges that don't consider legacy

+135%

What students study is shifting. Computer science went from 2.8% of bachelor's degrees in 2014–15 to 6.6% in 2024–25, across 1,769 colleges awarding them in both years. Fields are grouped by , counting .

Computer science+3.8 pts

Biology+0.8 pts

Psychology+0.8 pts

Social sciences−1.4 pts

English−1.0 pts

Communication and journalism−1.0 pts

Change in share of bachelor's degrees (first majors), in points

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-02; CPI retrieved 2026-10-02)

See colleges with computer science majors

Leaderboards

Who stands out

Hardest to get into

Applicants per admit, 1,000+ applicants

Largest enrollment

Undergrads, including online students

Most economically diverse

Pell Grant share, campuses of 5K+ undergrads

Where they are

Schools by state

Colleges per state

01–1415–2930–5960–99100+

Source:College Scorecard, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-04)

Tap a highlighted state to see its schools.

Put them head-to-head

Compare up to four schools with overlaid charts and automatic “key differences.” Start with a classic matchup:

Harvard vs. Stanford

Berkeley vs. UCLA

Michigan vs. UVA vs. UNC

Williams vs. Pomona

Learn the lingo

Admissions-speak, translated

Full glossary

College data,
decoded.

What kind of school are you after?