# College Scorecard API

> College Scorecard returns U.S. college costs, admissions, graduation, debt, and earnings as a workflow and API.

Get college returns costs, admissions, graduation, debt, and earnings using a college name and optional state. Compare colleges returns enrollment, admissions, after-aid costs, graduation, debt, and 10-year earnings for 2 to 5 college names.

- Page: https://fous.com/workflows/college-scorecard
- Handle: `@college-scorecard`
- Category: [Education](https://fous.com/workflows/category/education)
- Source website: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026
- Fous is not affiliated with College Scorecard.

## Methods

### Compare colleges

Operation `compare_colleges`, version 1. 1 credit per call.

Compare 2 to 5 US colleges by enrollment, admissions, cost after aid, graduation, 10-year earnings and graduation debt. Missing figures are null; names not found are listed separately.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `colleges` | array | yes |  | College names to compare, in the order to display them. Example: ["Ohio State University", "Purdue University"]. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "colleges"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "colleges": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string",
        "minLength": 1,
        "examples": [
          "Ohio State University",
          "Purdue University",
          "Northwestern University"
        ],
        "description": "Use the same format as these example values: \"Ohio State University\", \"Purdue University\", \"Northwestern University\"."
      },
      "maxItems": 5,
      "minItems": 2,
      "description": "College names to compare, in the order to display them. Example: [\"Ohio State University\", \"Purdue University\"].",
      "examples": [
        [
          "Ohio State University",
          "Purdue University"
        ],
        [
          "Northwestern University",
          "Harvard University",
          "Xyzqzz Imaginary Academy Blorp"
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "colleges": [
        "Ohio State University",
        "Purdue University"
      ]
    },
    {
      "colleges": [
        "Northwestern University",
        "Harvard University",
        "Xyzqzz Imaginary Academy Blorp"
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `colleges` | array |  | Matched colleges in the same order as the input. |
| `colleges[].city` | string or null | `"Columbus"` |  |
| `colleges[].type` | string or null | `"public"` | Public, private nonprofit or private for-profit. |
| `colleges[].state` | string or null | `"OH"` |  |
| `colleges[].currency_code` | string | `"USD"` |  |
| `colleges[].official_name` | string | `"Ohio State University-Main Campus"` | Official college name. |
| `colleges[].federal_school_id` | integer | `204796` |  |
| `colleges[].scorecard_page_link` | string | `"https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?204796-Ohio-State-University-Main-Campus"` |  |
| `colleges[].undergraduate_students` | integer or null | `45638` |  |
| `colleges[].acceptance_rate_percent` | number or null | `60.57` |  |
| `colleges[].graduation_rate_percent` | number or null | `82.19` |  |
| `colleges[].median_debt_at_graduation_usd` | number or null | `19976` |  |
| `colleges[].average_annual_cost_after_aid_usd` | number or null | `17339` | Average annual net price in US dollars. |
| `colleges[].median_earnings_10_years_after_entering_usd` | number or null | `60409` |  |
| `not_found` | array |  | Input names without a matching college. |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "colleges": [
    "Ohio State University",
    "Purdue University"
  ]
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "colleges": [
    {
      "city": "Columbus",
      "type": "public",
      "state": "OH",
      "currency_code": "USD",
      "official_name": "Ohio State University-Main Campus",
      "federal_school_id": 204796,
      "scorecard_page_link": "https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?204796-Ohio-State-University-Main-Campus",
      "undergraduate_students": 45638,
      "acceptance_rate_percent": 60.57,
      "graduation_rate_percent": 82.19,
      "median_debt_at_graduation_usd": 19976,
      "average_annual_cost_after_aid_usd": 17339,
      "median_earnings_10_years_after_entering_usd": 60409
    },
    {
      "city": "West Lafayette",
      "type": "public",
      "state": "IN",
      "currency_code": "USD",
      "official_name": "Purdue University-Main Campus",
      "federal_school_id": 243780,
      "scorecard_page_link": "https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?243780-Purdue-University-Main-Campus",
      "undergraduate_students": 44503,
      "acceptance_rate_percent": 49.87,
      "graduation_rate_percent": 78.45,
      "median_debt_at_graduation_usd": 19500,
      "average_annual_cost_after_aid_usd": 14600,
      "median_earnings_10_years_after_entering_usd": 72424
    }
  ],
  "not_found": []
}
```

### Get college

Operation `get_college`, version 1. 1 credit per call.

Get a US college’s costs, admissions, graduation, debt, and earnings from College Scorecard. Some colleges lack particular figures; similarly named schools are matched by name and enrollment size.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `state` | string | no | `"MI"` | Optional state name or two-letter code to distinguish similarly named colleges, such as Michigan or MI. |
| `college` | string | yes | `"University of Michigan"` | College name, such as University of Michigan. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "college"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "state": {
      "type": "string",
      "default": "",
      "description": "Optional state name or two-letter code to distinguish similarly named colleges, such as Michigan or MI.",
      "examples": [
        "MI",
        "Missouri"
      ]
    },
    "college": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "College name, such as University of Michigan.",
      "examples": [
        "University of Michigan",
        "Columbia College"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "state": "MI",
      "college": "University of Michigan"
    },
    {
      "state": "Missouri",
      "college": "Columbia College"
    },
    {
      "college": "University of Michigan"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `city` | string or null | `"Ann Arbor"` | City where the college is located. |
| `type` | string or null | `"public"` | Ownership: public, private nonprofit, or private for-profit. |
| `state` | string or null | `"MI"` | Two-letter state code. |
| `website` | string or null | `"https://umich.edu/"` | College website. |
| `official_name` | string | `"University of Michigan-Ann Arbor"` | Official school name. |
| `scorecard_page` | string | `"https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?170976-University-of-Michigan-Ann-Arbor"` | College Scorecard school page link. |
| `federal_school_id` | integer or null | `170976` | Federal school ID. |
| `undergraduate_students` | integer or null | `34177` | Undergraduate student count. |
| `acceptance_rate_percent` | number or null | `15.64` | Overall acceptance rate, percent. |
| `graduation_rate_percent` | number or null | `93.66` | Graduation rate, percent. |
| `median_debt_at_graduation_usd` | number or null | `19500` | Median debt for borrowers who graduate, in USD. |
| `average_annual_cost_after_aid_usd` | number or null | `13138` | Average annual cost after grant and scholarship aid, in USD. |
| `average_annual_cost_by_family_income` | array |  | Average annual cost after aid by family income band, in USD. |
| `average_annual_cost_by_family_income[].income_band` | string | `"$0-$30,000"` |  |
| `average_annual_cost_by_family_income[].average_annual_cost_usd` | number or null | `1043` |  |
| `median_earnings_10_years_after_entering_usd` | number or null | `83648` | Median earnings ten years after entering college, in USD. |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "state": "MI",
  "college": "University of Michigan"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "city": "Ann Arbor",
  "type": "public",
  "state": "MI",
  "website": "https://umich.edu/",
  "official_name": "University of Michigan-Ann Arbor",
  "scorecard_page": "https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?170976-University-of-Michigan-Ann-Arbor",
  "federal_school_id": 170976,
  "undergraduate_students": 34177,
  "acceptance_rate_percent": 15.64,
  "graduation_rate_percent": 93.66,
  "median_debt_at_graduation_usd": 19500,
  "average_annual_cost_after_aid_usd": 13138,
  "average_annual_cost_by_family_income": [
    {
      "income_band": "$0-$30,000",
      "average_annual_cost_usd": 1043
    },
    {
      "income_band": "$30,001-$48,000",
      "average_annual_cost_usd": 1878
    },
    {
      "income_band": "$48,001-$75,000",
      "average_annual_cost_usd": 4895
    }
  ],
  "median_earnings_10_years_after_entering_usd": 83648
}
```

## Quick start

Call the API with a Fous API key (`FOUS_API_KEY`). To create one, turn on Developer mode in Fous Studio, then open Keys & connections → API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys).

```bash
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
: "${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example}"

curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 120 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@college-scorecard",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "compare_colleges",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "colleges": [
      "Ohio State University",
      "Purdue University"
    ]
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
import json
import os
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = os.environ.get("FOUS_API_KEY")
if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example")

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@college-scorecard\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"compare_colleges\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"colleges\": [\n      \"Ohio State University\",\n      \"Purdue University\"\n    ]\n  },\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=120) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
// First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
const apiKey = process.env.FOUS_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example");

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(120_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@college-scorecard",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "compare_colleges",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "colleges": [
      "Ohio State University",
      "Purdue University"
    ]
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

Or describe the data in plain language: send `{"api":"@college-scorecard","prompt":"Describe the data you need, with every detail"}` to the same URL. Fous fills in the input, runs the method that fits and returns only the fields you asked for; `data.route.calls[].request` is the exact call it made. Routing is free; the run costs the same.

## Use cases

- Compare college costs after aid across schools
- Find a college’s admissions and graduation rates
- Review college debt and earnings outcomes
- Compare enrollment across colleges
- Identify college names without a match

## FAQ

### Is Fous affiliated with College Scorecard?

No. Fous is not affiliated with College Scorecard. This workflow reads the public collegescorecard.ed.gov website and returns its data.

### How much does it cost?

Each run costs 1 credit. With pay-as-you-go, a credit costs 1¢; monthly plans cost less per credit.

### Do I need a College Scorecard account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from collegescorecard.ed.gov when you run it; repeating the same request within a day may return the saved result. Fous checks this workflow automatically; it last passed a check on Sep 29, 2026.

### What is a college’s acceptance rate?

Get college returns the acceptance rate using a college name and optional state.

### How much does a college cost after aid?

Get college returns average annual cost after aid and cost by family income. Compare colleges returns after-aid costs for 2 to 5 schools.

### How do colleges compare on graduation and earnings?

Compare colleges returns graduation rates and median earnings ten years after entering for the colleges provided.

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