Choosing a college? Check it in five minutes.

The five-minute check

1. Search the collegeType its name on the homepage. You get an A to F grade and three plain questions: is it affordable, do students graduate, do graduates earn enough.
2. Read what is good and what is badEvery page lists the strengths and weaknesses that come out of the federal numbers, so you do not have to dig through tables.
3. Compare up to four schoolsUse Compare to put your top choices side by side on graduation, earnings, debt and price.
4. Check your majorEarnings differ more by major than by college. Look up your field on the Majors page.
5. Estimate what you would really paySticker prices mislead. The cost tools start from the average price after grants and scholarships.

Ten questions to ask any college

• 1. Do most students graduate? Under 50% means more students leave without a degree than finish one.
• 2. Do first-year students come back? Under 65% suggests many regret enrolling.
• 3. What do graduates earn, and what do they owe? Compare typical pay ten years after starting with typical loan debt.
• 4. What will I pay after grants? Ask for the net price for a student like you, in writing.
• 5. How does my major do here? Ask for graduation, earnings and debt for that specific program.
• 6. Is the school accredited by a recognized accreditor? Look it up in the U.S. Department of Education database before you pay a deposit.
• 7. Is the school in trouble? Search its name with "accreditation", "lawsuit" and "financial trouble".
• 8. Will my credits transfer? Ask which schools accept them. Many do not.
• 9. Who will advise me, and how big are the classes? Ask to talk to a current student in your program.
• 10. What if I leave? Ask about refunds, and what happens to your loans.

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Before you pick a college, look it up here: https://truecollegeverdict.com. It shows graduation rate, what graduates earn, debt and the real price, from federal data, in plain English. Free, no account.

A free tool for students choosing a college: True College Verdict gives every U.S. college an A to F grade from U.S. Department of Education data on graduation, earnings, debt and price, with the good and the bad in plain language. No sign-up. A five-minute guide and a ten-question checklist are at https://truecollegeverdict.com/for-students/

Grades describe averages for a whole college, not any one program, professor or student. Student reviews and questions are coming soon. Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.