Finding the right college means deciding what is right for you. Here are some free resources that can help you with your search:

College Navigator (U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics)

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

College Navigator is a search tool for colleges and universities in the U.S.  It allows users to build a list of schools using “my favorites” for side-by-side comparisons, pin point school locations with an interactive map, export search results into a spreadsheet, and users can save their searches.  In order to find a school match, users search by preferences which include: name of school, level of award, programs/majors, institution type, and more.  Data comes primarily from the latest Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the core postsecondary education data college programs for the NCES. 

Student Aid on the Web - College Matching Wizard or College Quick Finder (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid)

https://studentaid2.ed.gov/gotocollege/collegefinder/advanced_find.asp

College Matching Wizard is a search tool for college-goers who are at the beginning of their college search as it uses personality and academic goals to identify college matches.  After completing the survey, users receive a list of schools by percentage according to those that best match users’ preferences.  Search results offer details about the advantages and disadvantages of each option. College Finder is for those who already have an idea of the type of school they want to attend. It also creates a list of colleges and universities after taking a survey of preferences. The results of the search cannot be saved to a user account. The information on colleges is provided and updated by third parties including the respective colleges and universities.  

College MatchMaker & College QuickFinder (College Board)

http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp

College MatchMaker is used to generate a list of colleges that match your preferences according to a survey that specifies your needs. Some of the search criteria include type of school, financial aid, admissions, sports and activities, housing, academic programs, and specialized options.  College QuickFinder can be used to research a college that you already have in mind. The tools allow users to create and save a list of schools, along with the school’s profile.  College search profiles are based on information provided by colleges themselves in response to the College Board’s Annual Survey of Colleges. Some data is also provided by federal and state agencies. 

Search Now (Center for Student Opportunity)

http://www.csocollegecenter.org/searchnow.aspx

Search Now provides a database of U.S colleges and universities active in the recruitment and retention of first-generation and historically underserved students.  The college search creates a short list of schools that match your criteria and provide the campus community and support structure.  On the school’s profile page, the site gives information about admissions, campus life, student profile, academics, cost and aid, as well as programs at the school that support access, opportunity and success. The site allows users to send their profiles to the colleges or universities.