1. Start with what you will actually pay
The price on a college website is the sticker price. Most students pay less. At public 4-year colleges the median cost of attendance is $25,648, but the median net price (after grants) is $14,262. At private nonprofit colleges the gap is bigger: $52,192 on paper, $23,293 after grants.
Net price also depends heavily on income. At private nonprofit 4-year colleges, the median net price for families earning $0 to $30,000 is $18,720, against $30,076 for families earning over $110,000. Use our net price by income tool to see the figures for any school, then run the school's own calculator.
2. Check that students finish
A cheap school is not cheap if you do not graduate. The median six-year graduation rate at 4-year colleges is 55%, and it ranges from under 20% to over 95%. Look for the graduation rate on every school page, along with the retention rate (the share of first-year students who return).
3. Look at earnings and debt together
The Scorecard reports what former students earn 10 years after starting and how much federal debt graduates leave with. The medians for 4-year colleges are $59,172 in earnings and $21,625 in debt. A school where debt is low compared with earnings is a safer bet.
4. Match your scores, without overthinking it
If you have SAT or ACT scores, compare them with each school's middle 50% range in the test score fit tool. Inside the range, you are a typical admit. Above it, the school is likely a safety. Below it, a reach. For fall 2024, 1,439 four-year colleges said scores were not required.
5. Build a balanced list
Most counselors suggest 6 to 10 schools: two or three where you are well above the typical admit, three or four where you fit the middle, and two or three reaches. Make sure at least one school on your list is affordable even with no aid beyond federal grants.
6. Compare finalists side by side
When you are down to a few schools, put them in the compare tool. Seeing net price, graduation rate and earnings in one table makes the trade-offs obvious.
A shortcut
Our college match quiz asks eight questions (state, budget, size, setting, scores and more) and ranks the schools that fit, using the same federal data.
Sources
- College Scorecard data, U.S. Department of Education, release of October 15, 2026
- College Scorecard data dictionary
