The College Scorecard — which can be found at — provides a snapshot of what students of each university might earn based on tax records, how much debt they leave with, and what percentage can repay their loans.
The idea was presented two years ago, when President Barack Obama announced that the government would design a college ratings system that would judge schools on affordability and return on investment, according to The Associated Press. However, many in higher education quickly criticized the idea and worried that the rankings would be arbitrary and unfair. GOP opponents in Congress called it government overreach.
The administration ultimately scrapped plans to use the ratings as a basis to parcel out billions of federal dollars in financial aid, and decided against rating the more than 7,000 colleges and universities in the country, The AP reported. Instead, the government announced this summer it would take a different approach, offering students and families more data to help them make better choices and draw their own conclusions.
Tara Winter, director of enrollment at the State University College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, called the College Scorecard a “solid tool” and said her school is “glad that the government has launched it.”
“It looks at fair parameters for college comparison, especially for those looking at traditional four-year liberal arts education,” Winter said.
However, Winter warned of inaccuracies and advised that students and their families look deeper and contact colleges directly, especially "when looking for schools with career-focused paths or colleges that offer both associate and bachelor degrees, such as SUNY Cobleskill."
“The College Scorecard lists SUNY Cobleskill as a two-year institution,” Winter said, “even though nearly half of our student body is seeking baccalaureate degrees.”
Robert Piurowski, director of admissions at the State University College of Technology at Delhi, said the same thing happened with his school.
“It is a good idea and I would call the current scorecard a good start," Piurowski said. "However, the launch date may have been a little too ambitious because SUNY Delhi and many other colleges have expressed concerns about the data being reported. For example, one-third of our students are in four-year programs and we also have a graduate program, but we are labeled as a two-year college.”
In addition, the data only looks at results for first-time, full-time students, according to Piurowski, so it doesn't provide an accurate picture of student success rates for the entire student body.
“However, as the site continues to evolve and update its information, we see it as a valid source for students in the future,” Piurowski added.
Michael Tannenbaum, Hartwick College's provost and vice president of academic affairs, agreed that the website "is a good place to start a college search," but said "these types of inputs need to be used by prospective students and parents along with many other inputs, the most important of which require making personal connections with a college or university."
"From campus tours to one-on-one meetings with admissions staff and faculty members, it is crucial to vet an institution by experiencing it oneself," Tannenbaum said. "I also feel that the value of a college education, to the individual and to society, cannot be solely evaluated based upon one's potential earnings."
Hal Legg, SUNY Oneonta's spokesman, said some criticism of the College Scorecard has centered on its earnings data. This is understandable, he said, because, for example, many undergraduates plan to pursue advanced degrees after graduation rather than entering the workforce, which could skew salary figures.
According to Legg, other critics have noted that much of the information that the Scorecard presents is already available through different sources.
“While this is true," Legg said, "the bottom line is that, if this tool helps families navigate the college search process and find the right fit, then it has value."
The most important statistic provided by the website is on the home page, according to Legg, a statistic showing that, on average, college graduates earn $1 million more over their lifetimes than high school graduates.
Said Legg: “We’re glad to see this message — that getting a degree has a tangible financial benefit — so prominently placed."
©2015 The Daily Star (Oneonta, N.Y.); Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
