Questions to consider . . .

1. Do I want to stay close to home or move across the country?

2. Would I prefer a rural, suburban, or urban setting?

3. Would I prefer a small, medium, or big school?

4. What is the professor-to-student ratio?

5. Do they have the major I want to study?

6. What activities are available outside of class (sports, internships, study abroad)?

7. Where would I live?

8. What are the classrooms, lecture halls, library, and other common spaces like?

9. Can I imagine myself fitting in, making friends, and feeling comfortable there?

10. Do the current students like it?

Search engines can help

Search engines are tools that allow you to identify the characteristics that are most important to you in a college or university. Here are 10 search engines that are good tools to narrow down where you want to apply. Try to answer the questions honestly. That will help you get a more narrow list. Remember, some of the questions might not matter to you at all. If you honestly do not care about one of the questions, it is fine to answer that this characteristic is not important to you.

1. College Board’s BigFuture

College Board offers one of the best search tools around with BigFuture. You can find colleges by test scores, location, majors, support services and diversity.

If you create an account, you can save your favorite colleges and revisit them later. In addition to its college finder, College Board offers tips on how to apply for financial aid or explore careers.

2. Cappex

Cappex (click here) is another top resource and college search engine. You can search through thousands of schools, plus you can estimate your chances of admission based on your GPA and admission test scores.

You can also use the “Fit Score” to gauge whether a college could be a good match for you. The fit meter assigns a percentage to each school based on your preferences, like school size and tuition cost. If you get 90% or higher, the school could be a great fit.

Finally, you can estimate your chances of gaining admission to specific schools by inputting your grade and test score information.

3. College Insight

Some college search websites let you save a list of your favorites, but College Insight takes things a step further. With College Insight, you can build tables with any combination of variables to compare colleges. You can pick out the most relevant data and information to compare schools in a way that makes sense for you.

4. College Confidential

You might know College Confidential as a discussion forum, but the college search site also offers a comprehensive tool. The filters don’t get as specific as some other sites, but they’re enough to help you start building a college list. Once you narrow your results, you can learn about each school’s acceptance rate, tuition costs and test scores, among other essential facts.

5. Niche

Niche (click here) is another great resource for learning about colleges across the country. After narrowing down your list, you’ll see that each college comes with a “report card” and overall grade.

Niche gives grades for professors, athletics, dorms and safety, among other concerns. Plus, it creates its rankings based on data from the U.S. Department of Education (DoED) so that you can browse colleges by state or major.

6. Unigo

Unigo (click here) mixes up the traditional college search format. Instead of selecting filters, you’ll answer questions through a college match quiz. Then, Unigo will match you with colleges based on your responses. You can learn about each school, as well as read unbiased student reviews.

Besides its college search engine, Unigo also helps you find scholarships.

7. College Navigator

College Navigator (click here) is a free college search tool offered by the DoED’s National Center for Education Statistics. Although the design of the website isn’t exactly slick, it’s a thorough directory with up-to-date info.

You can filter schools by location, selectivity, sports teams and other criteria. Plus, you can indicate tuition costs and your state of residency; the tool will even take into account in-state versus out-of-state tuition.

Use College Navigator for a no-frills look at facts and figures.

8. College Simply

College Simply (click here) doesn’t have a ton of search filters, but it does collect a huge number of student reviews. You can find schools by test scores, state, ranking or acceptance rate.

Then, learn some basic facts about each college and read through reviews. Although College Simply isn’t as thorough as some other college search tools, it’s a useful place to start.

9. College XPress

Over 4.2 million students use College Xpress (click here) to find colleges and browse rankings. In addition to getting matched with schools, you can scan over $7 billion in scholarship opportunities.

After you create an account, you’ll be able to sign back in later to revisit your college list or track your scholarship applications.

10. Peterson’s

If you’re just beginning the college search process, Peterson’s College Search tool (click here) could be a good starting point. Its College Discovery Center provides pre-made lists of schools categorized by major or field.

You can also use the site’s search function to narrow your results by major, location or another keyword. From there, Peterson’s delivers the same filtering functionality as its competitors.

Finally, Peterson’s is something of a one-stop shop, with its additional resources for test preparation and scholarships.