io.github.cyanheads/college-scorecard-mcp-server

Search the College Scorecard field catalog by keyword. Returns matching field paths, descriptions, data types, and whether each field supports API-side sorting. Use before passing custom field paths to the fields parameter on scorecard_search_schools or scorecard_get_school to verify a path is valid. Served entirely from embedded static data — no API call, no rate limit impact.

All field-of-study programs at one school with 1-year post-graduation earnings (P25/median/P75), debt at graduation, and enrollment figures. This is the primary source for program-level earnings — institution-level 6/8/10-year earnings are available via scorecard_get_earnings. Earnings may be suppressed (null) for programs with small cohorts due to FERPA privacy protection; suppressed=true flags this explicitly. Use scorecard_lookup_cip to find CIP codes by name.

Search the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) taxonomy by keyword or partial name. Returns matching CIP codes with standard titles. Use this before passing cip_code filters to scorecard_search_programs or scorecard_get_programs when you know a program by name but not its code. Served entirely from embedded static data — no API call, no rate limit impact.

Search and filter U.S. colleges and universities by name, location, type, size, and acceptance rate. Returns a list with core identity and cost metrics for each match. For a full institutional profile use scorecard_get_school; for cross-institution program rankings use scorecard_search_programs. Geographic filtering requires a U.S. zip code and a distance string (e.g. "50mi"). State filter uses 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.

Normalized side-by-side comparison of 2–5 schools on a named topic. Returns percentile-ranked rows and relative deltas within the result set — structured output an agent cannot reconstruct from raw profiles. Topics: costs (tuition, net price by income bracket, debt), admissions (acceptance rate, SAT/ACT, enrollment), outcomes (graduation rate, earnings, repayment), aid (Pell grants, federal loans, debt, repayment). This is different from scorecard_get_school with multiple IDs — compare_schools adds within-set normalization.

Workflow tool: parallel-fetches cost, debt, repayment, and earnings data for one school and computes ROI metrics the API does not pre-calculate — debt-to-earnings ratio, net price by income bracket, 3-year repayment progress (share paying down principal), and how these compare within the school\'s Carnegie peer group. family_income narrows the net price to the applicable bracket. Returns a structured summary with all source figures alongside derived metrics. Answers "is this school worth it?" without requiring multiple tool calls.

Full institutional profile for one or more school IDs — costs, admissions, outcomes, aid, demographics, and completion rates. Pass a single ID or an array of up to 100 IDs. For side-by-side comparison on a specific dimension (costs, admissions, outcomes, or aid) use scorecard_compare_schools. The fields parameter accepts a comma-separated list of field paths from scorecard_list_fields to override the default field set.

Find programs by CIP code across all institutions, ranked by median earnings. Accepts school-side filters (state, ownership, max cost) to answer queries like "best CS programs in Washington under $30k." Use scorecard_lookup_cip to convert program names to CIP codes before using this tool. Returns school name, school ID, and unit ID alongside program metrics for follow-up chaining to scorecard_get_school or scorecard_get_programs.

Institution-level post-graduation earnings for one school — median and percentiles at 6, 8, and 10 years after entry, with optional gender breakdown. This reflects outcomes across all graduates, not broken down by program. For program-specific earnings use scorecard_get_programs. For ROI analysis combining cost and debt data use scorecard_value_analysis. The years parameter accepts a list of cohort entry years for historical trend queries — omit for current snapshot only.