Which schools are you considering?
Add up to 4 schools. Tuition, grad rates, and financial data load automatically from the U.S. Dept. of Education.
Live data · College Scorecard API · U.S. Dept. of Education
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Search above to add your first school
Search above to add your first school
What field are you interested in?
Choose a broad field first. We'll use this to narrow down realistic career and degree options.
What career path are you considering?
Your career sets the salary benchmark used to estimate whether the debt is manageable.
What degree or major are you considering?
Pick the degree that best matches your plan. If you're not sure yet, choose the closest option.
How are you planning to pay for college?
Answer what you know. Gradwise will calculate your estimated borrowing gap — no guessing required.
Assumptions — tap to edit
Interest rate6.5%
Repayment term10 years
Expected starting salary—
Here's what each school could cost you after graduation.
Ranked by Gradwise Value Score — affordability, earning power, graduation rate, selectivity, and network.
Under 10% — comfortable
10–20% — manageable
Over 20% — high risk
Want the full comparison saved as a PDF?
We'll email you the full breakdown and side-by-side comparison.
Data sources
Tuition & cost data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (updated annually)
Salary benchmarks: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Loan math: standard amortization formula (same as federal loan servicers use)
Your data is never stored, sold, or shared
Gradwise is an independent college affordability estimation tool provided for general research and informational purposes only. It is not financial advice and is not provided by or affiliated with a licensed financial advisor, financial planner, certified financial counselor, or any government agency. All cost estimates, salary projections, and loan calculations are approximations based on publicly available federal data and may not reflect your actual costs or outcomes. Individual results will vary significantly based on financial aid awards, personal circumstances, employer, location, and many other factors. Always consult your school's official financial aid office and a qualified, licensed financial professional before making any enrollment or borrowing decisions.
How Gradwise Works
Six steps from confusion to clarity on your college financial decision.
1
Search your schools
Type any college name. We pull live data from the U.S. Dept. of Education — tuition, room & board, grad rates, and admissions for 6,000+ schools.
2
Choose your industry
Pick a broad field first. This narrows down realistic career and degree options tailored to your interests.
3
Select your career path
Each career is mapped to real BLS salary data, so your debt-to-income calculation reflects what people in your field actually earn.
4
Pick your degree
Choose the major that best matches your career goals. Options are filtered by your industry and career choice.
5
Tell us what you know about paying
Answer what you actually know — family help, savings, expected grants. Gradwise calculates the borrowing gap, so you don't have to guess.
6
See your personalized results
Schools ranked by the Gradwise Value Score — affordability, earning power, grad rate, selectivity, and network strength.
Value Score Methodology
How we calculate the Gradwise Value Score — transparent, personalized, data-driven.
Affordability30 pts
Your debt-to-income ratio given your specific scenario. DTI under 10% = near max. Over 20% = near zero. Most heavily weighted because it directly determines post-graduation financial freedom.
Earning Power25 pts
Each school's actual graduate early-career salary outcomes from College Scorecard, compared to your expected salary. Schools whose graduates consistently out-earn your benchmark score higher.
Graduation Rate20 pts
A degree you don't finish is debt without the return. 150% completion rate from College Scorecard. 95% grad rate = near max. 55% = much lower.
Selectivity15 pts
Lower acceptance rates signal stronger brand value, alumni networks, and employer recognition.
Network Strength10 pts
A composite score reflecting alumni density in professional networks, employer recruitment presence, and career services strength.
About Gradwise
Built to give every student the financial clarity they deserve before committing to college.
Gradwise was built out of a frustration shared by millions of students and families: the real cost of college is almost impossible to understand until it's too late. Financial aid letters are confusing. Loan terms are buried in fine print. Nobody shows you what your monthly payment will actually be on your first-year salary.
This tool exists to change that. By pulling live data directly from the U.S. Department of Education and connecting it to real salary outcomes by career path, Gradwise gives you the complete financial picture before you commit to one of the biggest decisions of your life.
Gradwise is free, requires no sign-up, and never stores or sells your data.
Disclaimer: Gradwise is an independent college affordability estimation tool for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Not affiliated with any university, lender, or government agency. Always verify with your school's financial aid office and consult a licensed financial professional before making enrollment or borrowing decisions.
Questions: hello@gradwise.io