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Google simplifies finding colleges w/ admission info, cost summary, & more in Search

Google is applying its penchant for organizing the world’s information and making it easily accessible to the highly stressful area of choosing a college. Updated Knowledge Graph cards will now appear when searching for a 4-year college in the U.S. and include detailed information like admissions, costs, majors, and more.

The company notes that college-related information is often “scattered across the internet” and how “it’s not always clear what factors to consider and which pieces of information will be most useful for your decision.”

In fact, 63 percent of recently-enrolled and prospective students say they have often felt lost when researching college or financial aid options.

To simplify this, Knowledge Graph cards for 4-year colleges in the U.S. will now include information about admission, cost, majors, outcomes, student life, rankings, and notable alumni. Cards will start by noting the 4-year status and whether it’s a private or public school.

The new detailed information  — presented with graphs and charts — will be available through several new tabs in the Knowledge card. For example, one section notes the average cost factoring student aid and includes breakdowns by household income, while “Outcomes” features data about graduation rates and typical annual income 10 years after enrollment.

When available, the cards will link directly to tools found on a college’s website. Other stats include student body demographics by race and gender, and undergraduate enrollment rates. This data comes from the U.S. Department of Education, while Google is working with researchers and nonprofit organizations to improve the available information.

These updated Knowledge Graph cards are rolling out now to mobile with some features available on desktops.


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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com