New websites and greater access to education-related financial data are taking some of the mystery out of college shopping. A growing number of websites sort colleges based on financial criteria, allowing students and families to compare schools on such factors as return on investment and graduates’ prospects for employment—key considerations at a time when four years of college can represent one of the biggest investments a family or an individual will ever make. The ability to compare schools across a wide range of financial criteria got a big boost in September when the federal government released a trove of data on student-loan repayment rates, salaries and other factors that can play into one’s choice of school. Moreover, the government released the data in a format that is easy for sites to incorporate into their rankings of schools.

November 1, 2015 ・ From The Wall Street Journal