College Scorecard Explained

The College Scorecard is a comprehensive federal data tool created by the U.S. Department of Education to provide transparent, accessible information about college costs, graduation rates, post-graduation earnings, and student debt. Launched in 2015, the College Scorecard aims to help students and families make informed decisions about higher education investments by presenting outcome-focused data in a consumer-friendly format.

Unlike traditional college data sources that focus primarily on inputs (admission rates, test scores, institutional resources), the College Scorecard emphasizes outcomes — what happens to students after they enroll. The tool provides data on graduation rates, median earnings of graduates 6 and 10 years after entry, typical student debt levels, and loan repayment rates.

The Scorecard draws data from multiple federal sources, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), and federal tax records. By linking student enrollment data with earnings data from tax records, the Department of Education can report actual post-graduation earnings rather than relying on self-reported surveys.

The College Scorecard integrates data from four primary federal sources: IPEDS (institutional characteristics, enrollment, completion rates), NSLDS (student aid records, debt levels, repayment rates), IRS tax records (actual post-graduation earnings), and the Common Data Set (admission rates, test score ranges).

Key Metrics

• Completion Rates — graduation rates at 150% of normal time (6 years for bachelor's degrees)
• Median Earnings — actual earnings 6 and 10 years after initial enrollment, from IRS tax records
• Student Debt — median cumulative debt for students who completed their programs
• Repayment Rates — percentage of students making progress on paying down federal loan principal
• Net Price — average annual cost after grants and scholarships, by family income level

The College Scorecard matters because it fundamentally shifts the conversation about college quality from inputs and prestige to outcomes and value. It provides data that directly addresses the questions families care most about: Will students graduate? What will they earn? Can they afford the debt?

Before the College Scorecard, post-graduation earnings data came primarily from self-reported surveys with low response rates and significant self-selection bias. The Scorecard's use of federal tax records provides objective, comprehensive earnings data for the vast majority of graduates, eliminating self-reporting bias.

By presenting costs, debt, and earnings data together, the College Scorecard enables families to evaluate return on investment — comparing the typical debt burden against median earnings to assess whether graduates can reasonably afford loan payments.