Google Wants To Make College/University Search Easier

Figuring out which college you should go to is a stressful task, but Google is rolling out some new search features today that will make your search a little bit much easier. The Google college search features will give you fast access to the necessary information you need to plan your higher education.

Announced today in a blog post, Google has introduced a new type of Knowledge Graph card in search results, which will appear when users search for colleges. The college search features give you a concise look at four-year colleges across the U.S. With only one search query, you can see basic information like the school’s location and website, as well as more in-depth stats like the average cost of tuition after aid, the graduation rate, and the admission rate.

If you click the “More about cost, outcomes, and students” link, you’re taken to a more in-depth page with incredible amounts of information on the college experience at that particular school. You can even see the typical annual income of the average person 10 years after graduation from the college. To also give both students and parents a more realistic overview of what to expect over the next few years, the search tool will provide the average cost after student aid is applied, which is also broken down by household income.

The search feature also lists stats about the student body, notable alumni, and undergraduate enrolment rates to help paint a picture of what attending the specific college could look like. It will even suggest other colleges that are similar to the one you’re currently looking at to expand your list of options.

Last year, the company debuted a similar feature for job searches on Google. By searching terms like “jobs near me” and “teaching jobs” when looking for work, the results provide users with information like the location of the job and how long ago the post went live. It also includes whether it’s a full-time or part-time position and an estimate of how long the commute will take from home.

Google claims that the information for each school comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), a comprehensive data set available for four-year colleges.

The company also had assistance from education researchers and nonprofit organisations, high school counsellors, and admissions professionals. When available, the cards will link directly to tools found on a college’s website. Other stats include student body demographics by race and gender, and undergraduate enrolment rates.

This new feature is now live and should automatically pop up when you search for any four-year school in the U.S.