Two free federal tools let you compare schools on facts rather than marketing.
College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov) compares colleges and specific programs on cost, graduation rate, and what graduates typically earn. Because it breaks down by program and not just by school, you can see whether a particular major at a particular school produces the outcome you are after.
College Navigator (nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator) gives you the full federal data profile on any U.S. college: programs offered, tuition, campus housing, student-to-faculty ratio, student services, disability services, and a link to that school’s net price calculator.
Use the net price calculator, not the sticker price. Published tuition is almost never what students actually pay after aid. The net price calculator gives you a realistic estimate before you apply.
Sources: College Scorecard, collegescorecard.ed.gov; College Navigator, National Center for Education Statistics, nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator.