Updated March 2026 · College Scorecard data
Compare Colleges Side-by-Side
Side-by-side comparisons of 2,202 U.S. colleges across debt, earnings, graduation rate, and ROI Score. Average debt across the database is $26K; average first-year earnings are $58K. Comparisons surface differences inside the same major, which is usually larger than the difference between schools at the institution level.
What a Useful College Comparison Looks Like
The most common mistake families make when comparing colleges is fixating on the institution-level number — overall ranking, total cost, brand prestige — without checking the program-level numbers in the major the student actually plans to study. Inside a single major, the difference between two schools can be larger than the difference at the school level. A computer-science degree from one large public university might produce a 0.6x debt-to-income ratio while the same major at a flagship private produces 1.5x; the institution-level rankings will not surface that gap.
Side-by-side comparisons here always lead with the major-level breakdown when both schools offer the program. School-level statistics — graduation rate, average debt, average earnings — provide context, but the actionable numbers are in the program rows. For more on how to evaluate fit beyond the financials, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Paying for College resource walks through every step from financial-aid award letters to repayment.
Public vs Private · STEM vs Liberal Arts
Average Debt
Public university graduates: $26K
Private university graduates: $27K
1,327 public programs · 3,536 private programs
Year 1 Earnings
STEM majors: $74K
Liberal arts majors: $50K
574 STEM programs · 485 liberal-arts programs
Featured Two-School Comparisons
How the ROI Score Behind Each Comparison Works
Every comparison ultimately hangs on the 0–100 College ROI Score: a weighted composite of debt-to-income (35%), earnings premium over a high-school diploma (25%), 10-year BLS job-growth outlook (20%), graduation rate (10%), and debt vs. the national average (10%). The grade thresholds — A ≥ 80, B ≥ 65, C ≥ 50, D ≥ 35, F < 35 — are calibrated so a typical “break-even” degree lands in the C range. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are colleges compared on this site?
Comparisons line up the same five financial-aid signals for two schools at once: graduation rate, median debt at completion, first-year earnings, fifth-year earnings, and the resulting 0–100 ROI Score. Where both schools share a major in the College Scorecard, that program is shown side by side too — it is usually the most actionable view for a prospective student.
What is the biggest single factor when comparing two colleges?
Debt-to-income ratio. Two schools can have very similar earnings outcomes but very different debt loads, which means the same career produces very different financial outcomes for the borrower. The site weights debt-to-income at 35% of the composite score for exactly this reason.
Are public schools always cheaper than private schools?
On average, yes — public-school graduates carry roughly $26K in median debt versus $27K for private-school graduates, a small edge for public institutions. But individual private schools with strong financial aid sometimes leave graduates with less debt than out-of-state public peers. Always compare net price, not sticker price.
Do STEM majors really earn that much more than liberal arts?
On average, STEM graduates earn $74K in their first year versus $50K for liberal-arts graduates — a large edge for STEM. The gap narrows over time as liberal-arts graduates move into management and graduate programs, but it does not close completely.
Where does the underlying data come from?
Every figure is sourced from federal public datasets: the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard for debt and earnings, IPEDS for graduation rates, and the BLS Employment Projections program for job-growth outlook. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes plain-English context for borrowers. All datasets are federal public domain.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. All federal datasets are public domain.
Last updated 2026-03-15 · 2,202 schools, 30,224 programs tracked.