CollegeIQ strives to present the most up-to-date information about colleges and universities in the United States. We collect data from many sources, including free and paid data sources (used under license).
If you discover any errors in data on this site, please contact us.
General Data Sources
The bulk of data on CollegeIQ comes from these sources:
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System - This is a government database of college data. While considered accurate, much of the data in IPEDS is two years old or older. Whenever possible, we use data from more current databases.
Peterson’s Data - This is a privately held college data source. Some information from this source is included on the website and is used under license. Copying or re-using this information is prohibited without permission from Peterson’s Data.
Common Data Set - Most schools publish an annual “Common Data Set” (CDS) of information about the school.
Other Data Sources
CollegeIQ also uses data from these sources.
U.S. Census Bureau - Location and some other data is provided by this U.S. government organization.
Environmental Protection Agency - Walkability information is provided by the EPA’s National Walkability Index.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Some weather information is collected by NOAA.
Additionally, CollegeIQ compiles data from individual college websites.
Abortion
CollegeIQ reviews information from both pro-life and pro-choice organizations that track state laws around abortion. The site then converts this information into a numeric score, showing whether state abortion laws are more liberal (less restrictive) or conservative (more restrictive). Primary sources for this data include The Guttmacher Institute and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
Reproductive laws are constantly changing. If you believe any of our information is out-of-date, please contact us.
LGBTQIA+
CollegeIQ uses various sources to determine if the state the college is in has laws generally more or less favorable to people who identify as LGBTQIA+. A key source is Movement Advancement Project.
CollegeIQ reports demographic data as women/men. Colleges are beginning to report non-binary and other categories. The site will be updated as more colleges publish such data.
LGBTQIA+ laws are constantly changing. If you believe any of our information is out-of-date, please contact us.
Merit Price
Many colleges have a high list price but offer merit scholarships to students to lower the price that people typically pay. Some colleges are more generous with merit aid than others.
CollegeIQ calculates a Merit Price™ for colleges, which represents the average amount students should expect to pay. This price is determined by calculating the average merit scholarship students who did not receive need-based aid received from the school, and then deducting this amount from the current total cost of attendance. The average merit discount is only applied to the Merit Price if at least 40% of incoming freshmen who did not have financial need were awarded discounts.
Additionally, CollegeIQ provides a Merit Meter™. This represents how much merit aid the school gives and to how many students. It is based on what percentage of students the school gives merit aid to and the amount given compared to the cost of attendance, compared to other colleges and universities.