What is unique about College Results?
Why can’t I find the institution I’m looking for?
I noticed an error in your data. How can I get it corrected?
Caution Regarding Small Sample Sizes
What is unique about College Results?
Data, data, data – it’s everywhere you look, but rarely organized in a clear and concise way that can help students, families, policymakers, researchers, and advocates find all the information they need in a one-stop shop. College Results (CR) presents a host of publicly available data all in one location and helps users easily access key data about a variety of colleges and universities.
First, the site’s emphasis is on student success and value. What do graduation rates look like over 4 years, 5 years, and 6 years? By race/ethnicity? By gender? College is far too expensive not to consider its value – what chance of success do students get in return for their investment?
Second, CR’s peer group functionality sets it apart from other college search sites. The tool constructs peer groups of “similar colleges” to give users a reference point against which to compare the graduation rate of their school of interest. It would not make much sense, for example, to compare Harvard’s graduation rate with an open-access college. Instead, the peer groups are mathematically designed to help users understand how their selected institution compares to similar institutions that serve similar students. In most cases, graduation rates, enrollment, persistence, and completion vary tremendously within peer groups, with some institutions far outperforming their peers.
The possibilities for this tool are endless: Students and families can make more informed decisions about which institution is the best fit for them; policymakers and researchers can identify top-performing institutions to research successful practices;and institutions can benchmark progress according to their peer groups.
Why can’t I find the institution I’m looking for?
College Results includes four-year institutions that have graduation-rate data available and are eligible for federal Title IV student financial aid. Unless otherwise noted, most graduation rates are three-year rolling averages for first-time, full-time, non-transfer, bachelor’s degree-seeking students. These rates are updated annually. Colleges and universities that do not admit these students—or have not been in existence long enough to have a three-year rolling average—are not included in College Results. If you can’t find the institution you’re looking for, search the federal government’s College Navigator site (www.collegenavigator.gov).
How should we cite your data?
- We welcome your use of this data in your research or presentations. We simply ask that you cite:
© 2022. College Results, The Education Trust. All rights reserved.
I noticed an error in your data. How can I get it corrected?
If you believe there is an error in the data your institution initially submitted to the federal IPEDS database, please contact us at collegeresults@edtrust.org.
Caution Regarding Small Sample Sizes?
At some institutions, the number of first-time, full-time undergraduate students in a given freshman cohort can be very small, particularly when graduation rates are broken down by both gender and race/ethnicity. It is important to note that small cohorts often have unstable graduation rates. When using the “compare ” colleges function, please refer to the " Reported First-Time, Full-Time Undergraduate Enrollment" column under the Student Characteristics tab to see how many full-time freshmen that college enrolled.