Search Schools
scorecard_search_schoolsRead-only
Search and filter U.S. colleges and universities by name, location, type, size, and acceptance rate. Returns core identity and cost metrics. Use scorecard_get_school for profiles or scorecard_search_programs for program rankings. Geographic distance requires a U.S. ZIP; ZIP alone uses the provider default radius. State accepts comma-separated two-letter codes (e.g. WA,CA). Ownership: 1=public, 2=private nonprofit, 3=for-profit. Degree level: 0=non-degree, 1=certificate, 2=associate, 3=bachelor, 4=graduate.
Input Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| zip | No | Five-digit U.S. ZIP or ZIP+4. Alone uses the provider default radius; blank is unset. | |
| page | No | Zero-indexed page number for pagination. | |
| sort | No | Upstream sort expression on an indexed field, e.g. "latest.cost.avg_net_price.overall:asc" or ":desc" for reverse order. Use scorecard_list_fields for sort support; omission keeps API ordering. | |
| query | No | School name search — partial or full name; all words must appear. | |
| state | No | Comma-separated two-letter state codes; case and whitespace normalized, blanks unset. | |
| cip_code | No | Filter to schools offering this CIP 4-digit program code (e.g. "11.07"). Use scorecard_lookup_cip to find codes. | |
| distance | No | Nonnegative radius: bare miles, mi, or km, including decimals. Requires meaningful zip. | |
| men_only | No | True selects men-only institutions; false selects institutions explicitly marked not men-only. Omit to include unknown values. | |
| per_page | No | Results per page (max 100). | |
| ownership | No | Control type: 1=public, 2=private nonprofit, 3=private for-profit. | |
| size_range | No | Undergraduate enrollment size range. Omit for no size filter. | |
| women_only | No | True selects women-only institutions; false selects institutions explicitly marked not women-only. Omit to include unknown values. | |
| degree_level | No | Predominant degree: 0=non-degree/certificate, 1=certificate, 2=associate, 3=bachelor, 4=graduate. | |
| acceptance_rate_range | No | Acceptance rate range as decimals (0–1). Omit for no filter. |
Output Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| cap | No | The per_page limit that was applied. | |
| page | No | Current page (zero-indexed). | |
| error | No | Present when the call failed. Absent on success. | |
| query | No | Normalized effective selectors and pagination defaults. | |
| shown | No | Institutions returned on this page. | |
| total | No | Total institutions matching the filters (before pagination). | |
| notice | No | Recovery hint when results are empty — echoes applied filters and suggests how to broaden. | |
| schools | No | Matching institutions. | |
| per_page | No | Results per page used. | |
| truncated | No | True when school pagination metadata indicates a later page exists. | |
| totalCount | No | Total institutions matching the filters, before pagination. |