# /collegescorecard/schools/search

`POST /api/collegescorecard/schools/search`

Price: 20 credits

Search US colleges and universities by name, state, distance from a ZIP code, ownership, predominant credential, enrolment size, operating status and minority-serving designation, ordered by enrolment, admission rate, net price, earnings or completion rate

## How to use it

The name-searchable index of US institutions, and the way into both platforms: the `id` it returns is the IPEDS UNITID, so it feeds ipeds/institutions, collegescorecard/schools and collegescorecard/schools/programs unchanged. IPEDS itself has no name search, so start here whenever the user names an institution rather than a place. `name` matches words anywhere in the official name, which is why a campus is often found by its city as well. `zip_code` needs `distance_miles` to mean anything. Each result carries the profile plus a few headline numbers; the full outcome record, including debt, repayment and earnings, is collegescorecard/schools for one id. Institutions that have closed are included unless you set `operating_only`.

## Parameters

- `access-token` (string, required)

## Request body

- `timeout` (integer) — Max scrapping execution timeout (in seconds) (default: 300; min: 20; max: 1500)
- `count` (integer, required) — Max number of institutions to return (min: 1; max: 2000)
- `name` (string, nullable) — Words that must appear in the institution name (examples: "harvard", "community college")
- `state` (string, nullable) — Two-letter US state, DC or territory postal code (examples: "MA", "CA", "TX")
- `zip_code` (string, nullable) — US ZIP code to search around, used together with distance_miles (examples: "02139")
- `distance_miles` (integer, nullable) — Radius around zip_code in miles (min: 1; max: 1000)
- `ownership` (string, nullable) — Who controls the institution (one of: "public", "private_nonprofit", "private_for_profit")
- `predominant_degree` (string, nullable) — Credential the institution awards most of (one of: "not_classified", "certificate", "associate", "bachelors", "graduate")
- `operating_only` (boolean) — Only institutions that are still operating (default: false)
- `closed_only` (boolean) — Only institutions that have closed (default: false)
- `men_only` (boolean) — Only men's colleges (default: false)
- `women_only` (boolean) — Only women's colleges (default: false)
- `historically_black_only` (boolean) — Only historically Black colleges and universities (default: false)
- `tribal_only` (boolean) — Only tribal colleges and universities (default: false)
- `min_enrolment` (integer, nullable) — Smallest undergraduate enrolment to accept (min: 0)
- `max_enrolment` (integer, nullable) — Largest undergraduate enrolment to accept (min: 0)
- `sort` (string, nullable) — Field the results are ordered by (one of: "enrolment", "name", "admission_rate", "average_cost", "median_earnings", "completion_rate")
- `sort_direction` (string) — Order of the sort field (default: "desc"; one of: "asc", "desc")

## Response

### 200 — Successful Response

- `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardSchool")
- `id` (string, required)
- `ope6_id` (string, nullable)
- `ope8_id` (string, nullable)
- `federal_school_code` (string, nullable)
- `latitude` (number, nullable)
- `longitude` (number, nullable)
- `school` (object, nullable)
  - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardSchoolProfile")
  - `name` (string, nullable)
  - `alternative_name` (string, nullable)
  - `address` (string, nullable)
  - `city` (string, nullable)
  - `state` (string, nullable)
  - `state_fips` (string, nullable)
  - `zip_code` (string, nullable)
  - `region` (string, nullable)
  - `locale` (string, nullable)
  - `web_url` (string, nullable)
  - `price_calculator_url` (string, nullable)
  - `accreditor` (string, nullable)
  - `accreditor_code` (string, nullable)
  - `ownership` (string, nullable)
  - `ownership_peps` (string, nullable)
  - `sector_code` (string, nullable)
  - `level_code` (string, nullable)
  - `predominant_degree_code` (string, nullable)
  - `highest_degree_code` (string, nullable)
  - `predominant_degree_recoded_code` (string, nullable)
  - `carnegie_basic` (string, nullable)
  - `carnegie_undergraduate_profile` (string, nullable)
  - `carnegie_size_and_setting` (string, nullable)
  - `religious_affiliation_code` (string, nullable)
  - `degree_urbanization_code` (string, nullable)
  - `branch_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `is_main_campus` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_operating` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_online_only` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_men_only` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_women_only` (boolean, nullable)
  - `has_open_admissions_policy` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_under_investigation` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_historically_black` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_predominantly_black` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_hispanic_serving` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_tribal` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_alaska_native_native_hawaiian_serving` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_asian_american_native_american_pacific_islander_serving` (boolean, nullable)
  - `is_native_american_non_tribal_serving` (boolean, nullable)
  - `has_dol_flag` (boolean, nullable)
  - `title_iv_approved_at` (integer, nullable)
  - `title_iv_eligibility_code` (string, nullable)
  - `endowment_begin` (number, nullable)
  - `endowment_end` (number, nullable)
  - `faculty_salary` (number, nullable)
  - `full_time_faculty_rate` (number, nullable)
  - `instructional_expenditure_per_fte` (number, nullable)
  - `tuition_revenue_per_fte` (number, nullable)
- `students` (object, nullable)
  - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardStudentBody")
  - `size` (integer, nullable)
  - `size_category_code` (string, nullable)
  - `undergraduate_12_month_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `graduate_12_month_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `graduate_student_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `non_degree_seeking_undergraduate_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `student_faculty_ratio` (number, nullable)
  - `part_time_share` (number, nullable)
  - `share_25_or_older` (number, nullable)
  - `share_over_23_at_entry` (number, nullable)
  - `share_married` (number, nullable)
  - `share_veteran` (number, nullable)
  - `share_female` (number, nullable)
  - `share_first_generation` (number, nullable)
  - `share_parents_middle_school` (number, nullable)
  - `share_parents_high_school` (number, nullable)
  - `share_independent` (number, nullable)
  - `share_with_pell_grant` (number, nullable)
  - `average_age_at_entry` (number, nullable)
  - `average_family_income` (number, nullable)
  - `average_family_income_dependent` (number, nullable)
  - `average_family_income_independent` (number, nullable)
  - `family_income_reported_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `family_income_reported_count_dependent` (integer, nullable)
  - `family_income_reported_count_independent` (integer, nullable)
  - `parents_education_reported_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `median_family_income` (number, nullable)
  - `median_household_income` (number, nullable)
  - `poverty_rate` (number, nullable)
  - `unemployment_rate` (number, nullable)
  - `fafsa_application_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `retention_rate_full_time` (number, nullable)
  - `retention_rate_part_time` (number, nullable)
  - `student_race_shares` (object, nullable)
    - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardRaceShares")
    - `white` (number, nullable)
    - `black` (number, nullable)
    - `hispanic` (number, nullable)
    - `asian` (number, nullable)
    - `american_indian_alaska_native` (number, nullable)
    - `native_hawaiian_pacific_islander` (number, nullable)
    - `two_or_more` (number, nullable)
    - `non_resident_alien` (number, nullable)
    - `unknown` (number, nullable)
  - `faculty_race_shares` (object, nullable)
    - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardRaceShares")
    - `white` (number, nullable)
    - `black` (number, nullable)
    - `hispanic` (number, nullable)
    - `asian` (number, nullable)
    - `american_indian_alaska_native` (number, nullable)
    - `native_hawaiian_pacific_islander` (number, nullable)
    - `two_or_more` (number, nullable)
    - `non_resident_alien` (number, nullable)
    - `unknown` (number, nullable)
  - `share_men` (number, nullable)
  - `share_women` (number, nullable)
  - `faculty_share_men` (number, nullable)
  - `faculty_share_women` (number, nullable)
- `cost` (object, nullable)
  - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardCost")
  - `attendance_academic_year` (number, nullable)
  - `attendance_program_year` (number, nullable)
  - `tuition_in_state` (number, nullable)
  - `tuition_out_of_state` (number, nullable)
  - `tuition_program_year` (number, nullable)
  - `books_and_supplies` (number, nullable)
  - `room_and_board_on_campus` (number, nullable)
  - `room_and_board_off_campus` (number, nullable)
  - `other_expenses_on_campus` (number, nullable)
  - `other_expenses_off_campus` (number, nullable)
  - `other_expenses_with_family` (number, nullable)
  - `average_net_price` (number, nullable)
  - `average_net_price_public` (number, nullable)
  - `average_net_price_private` (number, nullable)
  - `median_net_price_all_institutions` (number, nullable)
  - `median_net_price_same_predominant_degree` (number, nullable)
  - `title_iv_recipient_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `net_price_by_income` (array) (default: [])
    - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardNetPriceLine")
    - `payer` (string, nullable)
    - `income_band` (string, nullable)
    - `net_price` (number, nullable)
    - `title_iv_recipient_count` (integer, nullable)
- `aid` (object, nullable)
  - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardAid")
  - `pell_grant_rate` (number, nullable)
  - `federal_loan_rate` (number, nullable)
  - `share_with_any_loan` (number, nullable)
  - `average_loan_principal` (number, nullable)
  - `median_debt_overall` (number, nullable)
  - `median_debt_completers` (number, nullable)
  - `median_debt_noncompleters` (number, nullable)
  - `median_debt_monthly_payment` (number, nullable)
  - `median_debt_dependent_students` (number, nullable)
  - `median_debt_independent_students` (number, nullable)
  - `median_debt_first_generation_students` (number, nullable)
  - `median_debt_non_first_generation_students` (number, nullable)
  - `cumulative_debt_10th_percentile` (number, nullable)
  - `cumulative_debt_25th_percentile` (number, nullable)
  - `cumulative_debt_75th_percentile` (number, nullable)
  - `cumulative_debt_90th_percentile` (number, nullable)
  - `borrower_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `parent_plus_median_debt` (number, nullable)
  - `parent_plus_borrower_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `direct_loan_amount` (number, nullable)
  - `direct_loan_count` (integer, nullable)
- `earnings` (array) (default: [])
  - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardEarningsPeriod")
  - `years_after` (integer, nullable)
  - `measured_from` (string, nullable)
  - `median_earnings` (number, nullable)
  - `mean_earnings` (number, nullable)
  - `earnings_10th_percentile` (number, nullable)
  - `earnings_25th_percentile` (number, nullable)
  - `earnings_75th_percentile` (number, nullable)
  - `earnings_90th_percentile` (number, nullable)
  - `share_earning_above_high_school_graduate` (number, nullable)
  - `share_earning_above_25000` (number, nullable)
  - `share_earning_above_28000` (number, nullable)
  - `working_not_enrolled_count` (number, nullable)
  - `not_working_not_enrolled_count` (number, nullable)
- `completion` (object, nullable)
  - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardCompletion")
  - `overall_rate` (number, nullable)
  - `median_rate_by_predominant_degree` (number, nullable)
  - `four_year_rate_150_percent` (number, nullable)
  - `four_year_rate_150_percent_pooled` (number, nullable)
  - `four_year_rate_150_percent_pell` (number, nullable)
  - `transfer_rate_four_year_full_time` (number, nullable)
  - `pooled_years_used` (integer, nullable)
  - `cohorts` (array) (default: [])
    - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardCompletionCohort")
    - `years` (integer, nullable)
    - `overall_count` (integer, nullable)
    - `male_student_count` (integer, nullable)
    - `female_student_count` (integer, nullable)
    - `dependent_student_count` (integer, nullable)
    - `independent_student_count` (integer, nullable)
    - `first_generation_student_count` (integer, nullable)
    - `non_first_generation_student_count` (integer, nullable)
    - `low_income_student_count` (integer, nullable)
    - `pell_grant_student_count` (integer, nullable)
    - `no_pell_grant_student_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `by_race` (array) (default: [])
    - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardCompletionByRace")
    - `race` (string, nullable)
    - `completion_rate` (number, nullable)
    - `cohort_count` (integer, nullable)
- `repayment` (object, nullable)
  - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardRepayment")
  - `two_year_default_rate` (number, nullable)
  - `three_year_default_rate` (number, nullable)
  - `two_year_default_cohort_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `three_year_default_cohort_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `windows` (array) (default: [])
    - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardRepaymentWindow")
    - `years` (integer, nullable)
    - `repayment_rate` (number, nullable)
    - `borrower_count` (integer, nullable)
- `admissions` (object, nullable)
  - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardAdmissions")
  - `admission_rate` (number, nullable)
  - `admission_rate_overall` (number, nullable)
  - `admission_rate_by_ope_id` (number, nullable)
  - `test_requirements_code` (string, nullable)
  - `sat_average` (number, nullable)
  - `sat_reading_25th` (integer, nullable)
  - `sat_reading_50th` (integer, nullable)
  - `sat_reading_75th` (integer, nullable)
  - `sat_math_25th` (integer, nullable)
  - `sat_math_50th` (integer, nullable)
  - `sat_math_75th` (integer, nullable)
  - `sat_writing_25th` (integer, nullable)
  - `sat_writing_50th` (integer, nullable)
  - `sat_writing_75th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_cumulative_25th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_cumulative_50th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_cumulative_75th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_english_25th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_english_50th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_english_75th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_math_25th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_math_50th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_math_75th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_writing_25th` (integer, nullable)
  - `act_writing_75th` (integer, nullable)
- `academics` (object, nullable)
  - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardAcademics")
  - `offers_certificate` (boolean, nullable)
  - `offers_associate` (boolean, nullable)
  - `offers_bachelors` (boolean, nullable)
  - `reported_program_count` (integer, nullable)
  - `programs` (array) (default: [])
    - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardProgram")
    - `field_of_study` (string, nullable)
    - `degrees_awarded_percent` (number, nullable)
    - `offers_certificate_under_1_year` (boolean, nullable)
    - `offers_certificate_1_to_2_years` (boolean, nullable)
    - `offers_certificate_2_to_4_years` (boolean, nullable)
    - `offers_associate` (boolean, nullable)
    - `offers_bachelors` (boolean, nullable)
    - `offers_degree` (boolean, nullable)
  - `reported_programs` (array) (default: [])
    - `@type` (string) (default: "CollegescorecardReportedProgram")
    - `cip_code` (string, nullable)
    - `program_title` (string, nullable)
    - `months_to_completion` (number, nullable)
    - `annualized_cost` (number, nullable)
    - `full_program_cost` (number, nullable)

## Errors

### 422 — Validation Error

The request body did not validate

What to do: Check the fields against this schema. A URN with the wrong prefix is the most common cause.

- `detail` (array)
  - `loc` (array, required)
  - `msg` (string, required)
  - `type` (string, required)
  - `input` (any)
  - `ctx` (object)

### 408

The request ran past its time limit

What to do: Raise `timeout` in the request body, up to the maximum this endpoint documents. Lowering `count` or turning off the `with_*` flags also helps, because less work finishes sooner.

### 412

The entity was not found, or a precondition failed

What to do: Retrying will not help: either the entity does not exist, or the input points at a different one.

### 429

Too many requests: a rate limit or a usage window is exhausted

What to do: When the response carries an X-Retry-After header, wait that many seconds and retry: the same number is in the body as `detail.retry_after`, and the limit clears once that window passes. The message in the body names the limit that was hit.

### 500

Something broke on our side

What to do: Retrying will not help. If it keeps happening, send us the X-Request-ID from the response headers.

### 529

Rate limit reached, or the endpoint is overloaded

What to do: Wait at least 30 seconds, then retry.

## Response envelope

Success: Array of objects (may be empty if no results)

Error: Error may coexist with partial results if it occurs mid-execution. Check X-Error header and status code.

Every response carries these headers:

- `X-Error` — Error message text (present only on error)
- `X-Request-ID` — Unique request identifier
- `X-Execution-Time` — Execution time in seconds
- `X-Result-Count` — How many records the body carries. 0 means an empty result, which is a normal answer and not by itself an error. A non-zero count can come back together with X-Error when the failure happened partway through — read this header and X-Error independently.
- `X-Total-Available-Results` — How many records exist for this query, when the endpoint can say. On a `dry_run` request this is the answer and the body is empty. It saturates: the endpoint's documented maximum means 'at least that many', any smaller number is exact.
- `X-Warning` — Present when the request body carried keys this endpoint does not document. They were ignored, so any filter you meant to apply through them did not apply. Check the spelling against this schema and retry.
- `X-Retry-After` — Seconds to wait before retrying. Present only on 429.