# ed.gov API: Compare US colleges on College Scorecard > Compares 2 to 5 US colleges from College Scorecard by enrollment, admissions, cost after aid, graduation, 10-year earnings and graduation debt. Missing figures are null; names not found are listed separately. Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ed.gov. - Page: https://fous.com/methods/collegescorecard.ed.gov/compare-colleges - Method: `collegescorecard.ed.gov/compare_colleges`, version 1 - Website: collegescorecard.ed.gov - Returns: official name, city, state, type, undergraduates, acceptance rate, cost after aid, graduation rate, earnings, debt, Scorecard link; names not found - Effect: read (it gets data and changes nothing) - Sign-in: none needed - Cost: 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free ## Inputs | Field | Type | Required | In the run below | Description | |---|---|---|---|---| | `colleges` | array of string | yes | `["Northwestern University","Harvard University","Xyzqzz Imaginary Academy Blorp"]` | College names to compare, in the order to display them. Example: ["Ohio State University", "Purdue University"]. | ## Output From a run on Oct 31, 2026. Its input: ```json { "colleges": [ "Northwestern University", "Harvard University", "Xyzqzz Imaginary Academy Blorp" ] } ``` Its output: ```json { "colleges": [ { "city": "Evanston", "type": "private nonprofit", "state": "IL", "currency_code": "USD", "official_name": "Northwestern University", "federal_school_id": 147767, "scorecard_page_link": "https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?147767-Northwestern-University", "undergraduate_students": 9201, "acceptance_rate_percent": 7.69, "graduation_rate_percent": 96.53, "median_debt_at_graduation_usd": 15000, "average_annual_cost_after_aid_usd": 29167, "median_earnings_10_years_after_entering_usd": 89363 }, { "city": "Cambridge", "type": "private nonprofit", "state": "MA", "currency_code": "USD", "official_name": "Harvard University", "federal_school_id": 166027, "scorecard_page_link": "https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?166027-Harvard-University", "undergraduate_students": 7601, "acceptance_rate_percent": 3.65, "graduation_rate_percent": 98.35, "median_debt_at_graduation_usd": 14000, "average_annual_cost_after_aid_usd": 19066, "median_earnings_10_years_after_entering_usd": 101817 } ], "not_found": [ "Xyzqzz Imaginary Academy Blorp" ] } ``` ## Run it From code, with a Fous API key in `FOUS_API_KEY`; the answer's `data` holds the output: ```bash curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"method":"collegescorecard.ed.gov/compare_colleges","input":{"colleges":["Northwestern University","Harvard University","Xyzqzz Imaginary Academy Blorp"]}}' ``` From an AI agent connected to the Fous MCP server: its `run` with the same method and input. To connect one, give it `set up https://fous.com/SKILL.md`. ## Ask your agent - Compare University of Michigan, UCLA, and UNC Chapel Hill side by side: acceptance rate, average net price after aid, grad rate, and median earnings 10 years out. - My daughter got into Texas A&M and Georgia Tech — which one has lower student debt at graduation and better earnings? Pull the federal College Scorecard numbers. - Show me enrollment size, cost after financial aid, and graduation rates for Bowdoin, Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, and Swarthmore. - Using ed.gov's Scorecard data, how do Arizona State University and University of Arizona stack up on admissions rate and typical debt? - I'm deciding between Rutgers and Penn State — give me the official data on undergrad population, net cost, completion rate, and post-grad salaries. ## Input schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "colleges" ], "properties": { "colleges": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }, "maxItems": 5, "minItems": 2, "description": "College names to compare, in the order to display them. Example: [\"Ohio State University\", \"Purdue University\"]." } } } ``` ## Output schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "colleges", "not_found" ], "properties": { "colleges": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "official_name", "city", "state", "type", "undergraduate_students", "acceptance_rate_percent", "average_annual_cost_after_aid_usd", "graduation_rate_percent", "median_earnings_10_years_after_entering_usd", "median_debt_at_graduation_usd", "currency_code", "scorecard_page_link", "federal_school_id" ], "properties": { "city": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "type": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Public, private nonprofit or private for-profit." }, "state": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "currency_code": { "enum": [ "USD" ], "type": "string" }, "official_name": { "type": "string", "description": "Official college name." }, "federal_school_id": { "type": "integer" }, "scorecard_page_link": { "type": "string" }, "undergraduate_students": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ] }, "acceptance_rate_percent": { "type": [ "number", "null" ] }, "graduation_rate_percent": { "type": [ "number", "null" ] }, "median_debt_at_graduation_usd": { "type": [ "number", "null" ] }, "average_annual_cost_after_aid_usd": { "type": [ "number", "null" ], "description": "Average annual net price in US dollars." }, "median_earnings_10_years_after_entering_usd": { "type": [ "number", "null" ] } }, "additionalProperties": false }, "description": "Matched colleges in the same order as the input." }, "not_found": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Input names without a matching college." } }, "additionalProperties": false } ``` ## See more - [topuniversities.com API: Get QS university profile](https://fous.com/methods/topuniversities.com/get-university.md): Finds a university's QS profile by name and returns its latest QS World University Ranking and overall score, location, student figures, faculty ratio, public tuition ranges and up to five listed subject ranks. - [topuniversities.com API: List QS university rankings](https://fous.com/methods/topuniversities.com/list-university-rankings.md): Lists the QS World University Rankings, or a QS subject ranking, for an edition and optionally one country, with each university's displayed rank, location, overall score and the indicator scores published for that table. - [Times Higher Education API: Get university profile](https://fous.com/methods/timeshighereducation.com/get-university.md): Looks up a university on Times Higher Education and returns its latest displayed world ranking, overall and pillar scores, student statistics and subject rankings. - [FuelEconomy.gov API: Compare cars](https://fous.com/methods/fueleconomy.gov/compare-cars.md): Compares the official fuel economy and estimated annual fuel cost of two to four cars by year, make and model, using FuelEconomy.gov. Selects a base version when no trim is given. - [NCAA API: Get scores](https://fous.com/methods/ncaa.com/get-scores.md): Gets NCAA college sports games for a date (or, for football, the week containing it) with scores, rankings, live status, TV networks and NCAA game links, optionally for one conference. - [G2 API: Compare software products](https://fous.com/methods/g2.com/compare-products.md): Compare two to four G2 software products in your chosen order, with ratings, review counts, pricing, trial availability, and category scores. Pricing and individual scores may be unavailable when G2 does not show them. - [NCAA API: Get NCAA Top 25 rankings](https://fous.com/methods/ncaa.com/get-rankings.md): Gets the latest NCAA.com Top 25 ranking for a college sport: AP, College Football Playoff, or D1Baseball for baseball. Coaches polls and polls not yet published for the current season are unavailable. - [GreatSchools API: Get school rating and facts](https://fous.com/methods/greatschools.org/get-school.md): Finds a school on GreatSchools by name, city and state. Returns its ratings and key facts; anything the profile does not publish is null.