How To Compare Colleges in 2025: What to Look for and How To Decide

The Education Advisory Board's (EAB) latest First-Year Experience Survey shows that 84% of first-year students feel satisfied with their college experience. But landing on a college that's the perfect fit for you can be confusing — and sometimes even overwhelming.

Factors like academic programs, cost of attendance, and financial aid offer are just some considerations that students and their families need to weigh when choosing a college.

Keep reading to learn how to compare colleges so you can find a school that supports your personal and academic growth.

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What factors should you use to compare colleges?

When evaluating colleges, some broad categories to compare include academics, financials, culture fit, and post-graduation outcomes. Here are some factors to compare between schools:

The reality is, depending on your goals and priorities, there can be endless metrics to judge a school by.

“When the list feels overwhelming, start by identifying two or three non-negotiables — whether that's cost, location, size, or strength in a particular major — and let go of schools that don't meet those criteria,” says Cindy Chanin, founder and director of Rainbow Education Consulting & Tutoring.

“From there, if you have the ability to visit, do it,” she adds.

How to compare college costs and financial aid

College costs are one of the leading factors that students and families evaluate when choosing a school, according to the EAB survey. It found that affordable tuition and financial aid packages were a top consideration for 46% of students.

Related: How To Pay for College

But college costs vary significantly between institutions. For example, an immediate difference between public vs. private colleges is their price.

In addition to tuition and mandatory fees — like first-year student fees, environmental fees, and health center fees — a school's cost of attendance includes expenses such as food, housing, books, supplies, and transportation.

Compare college costs by finding the “net cost” of attending each school. The net cost is the cost of attendance, minus scholarships and grants you've received. This represents your true out-of-pocket cost. Schools often provide their own net cost calculator tools, which you can find directly on their website or by searching for the school in the Department of Education's Net Price Calculator Center.

The College Scorecard is another useful tool that offers a snapshot of a school's average annual net price. For an itemized, in-depth overview of each college's costs, use the National Center for Education Statistics' College Navigator.

“The best way to make a fair comparison is to put the official financial aid offers side by side. Look not only at how much aid is given, but at the ratio of grants to loans,” says Chanin.

“Two schools with similar 'net costs' on paper can feel very different if one is packaging mostly loans and the other is offering renewable scholarships,” she explains.

A hidden cost that's sometimes overlooked, according to Kevin Ladd, chief operating officer of Scholarships.com, is going home for the holidays. If you plan on visiting family during break or even on the weekends, how far each school is from home and its travel cost — for example, a three-hour drive vs. a three-hour flight — should be considered to determine the true cost of attending a school.

Read More: How To Apply for Student Loans

Compare academics and majors

A school that offers your dream degree might be at the top of your must-have list. When comparing academics between schools, look at department rankings, student-faculty ratios, and prerequisites and graduation requirements. These factors can closely influence your experience while working toward your degree.

“It's worth looking closely at class size, not just in broad averages but in how the classes are structured,” says Chanin.

“Almost every college will have larger introductory lectures, but the real question is: Are there opportunities to break those down into smaller discussion groups? Are there seminars, labs, or writing-intensive courses where students can work closely with faculty? That balance between breadth and intimacy says a lot about the academic culture,” she adds.

Look at campus life and location

The EAB survey revealed that first-time college students said location was the number one factor for choosing their school. Campus culture and the school's local community can shape your entire college experience. Some areas to compare include:

• School size: Ask yourself what type of atmosphere you'd thrive in. A large school, for example, might offer more extracurricular activities, but for some students, an expansive campus can feel isolating. Conversely, a small school might offer a strong sense of community for some, but have limited resources to reinvest into the student body.
• Urban vs. rural: Is the campus immersed in the hustle and bustle of an urban area, or is it the center of activity for the surrounding rural town? Are parks, museums, restaurants, shopping centers, and public transportation easily accessible, and is this important to you?
• Weather: Over time, the daily forecast can make or break your mood. Think about how climate affects you, and whether you prefer temperate weather or if you're open to locations with extreme hot or cold seasons.
• Housing options: If you're considering a school that's away from home, but aren't signing up for a dorm room, scope out the local rental market. You'll want to explore affordable neighborhoods in the area, public transit or walkability, safety rankings, and access to grocery stores and shops.
• Student life: What type of campus organizations and clubs are offered by the school? What do students typically do during downtime and session breaks? Is there a strong sense of school spirit or community that's refreshing and inspiring?

“A common mistake I notice is when families try to make this decision entirely comparative, as though the process can be reduced to lining up two or three schools and checking which has the 'better' numbers in each category,” says Chanin, who emphasizes that although these data points are important, they don't tell the whole story.

“What they leave out is how it actually feels to be a student on that campus day to day, whether the student feels energized or supported by the environment around them,” she notes.

Virtual campus tours can offer a glimpse into the layout and tone of a school and its students. They're useful if budget constraints prevent students and their families from traveling to see multiple campuses. If you can manage an in-person tour, Ladd echoes the value of experiencing campus life for yourself.

“You probably wouldn't buy a house, horse, or car without seeing them in person,” says Ladd.

“You really shouldn't make a decision on where to attend college until you have spent an afternoon there, walking the grounds and hearing firsthand from someone who is attending or has attended that college recently,” he advises. “You may discover several 'it' factors per school by taking the time to visit.”

Consider outcomes and long-term value

Ultimately, the college experience is designed for personal development and to prepare you for a career. For 28% of first-time students, demonstrated job success for graduates was a top factor in choosing a college, according to the EAB survey.

The College Scorecard provides students with average outcomes of students who were enrolled as first-time students at a school. This information can be used to compare college costs against future financial earnings and debt.

Below are some data points it provides:

• Graduation rates: This is the percentage of students who graduated within 8 years of enrolling as a first-time student.
• Starting salaries: College Scorecard data shows the median starting salary of students who received financial aid and enrolled at the school 10 years prior, regardless of whether they completed their degree.
• Median total student debt: This figure is the median cumulative federal student loan debt that undergraduate students typically have upon leaving the school.

Be wary of relying solely on numbers to decide the lifelong value of a school. In addition to the data, evaluate the department's quality of academic advising, whether the school's alumni network is robust and engaged, and whether students are well-positioned for pivotal internships or offered other opportunities for long-term career development.

“When thinking about career outcomes, I recommend focusing less on the averages and more on the pathways: the advising, the internships, the alumni connections, and the support structures that get students from the classroom to their next step,” says Chanin. “Those are the levers that determine whether a student leaves with momentum.”