How to Find a College Using the Internet

Mar 23, 2011
Ashley Anderson

Researching Colleges Online - Ed Yourdon

As higher education becomes more and more technological, it is increasingly easier for students to research colleges and universities online.

Traditionally, students who were researching college options would have to write or call a college or university's admissions office to request brochures, guide books, and other information about a particular school. Students who had high achievements in certain areas, such as sports, academics, or the arts would receive recruiting materials by the dozens in the mail from schools interested in attracting talented students.

With the wide accessibility of the Internet, however, it has become much easier for students to find reliable information about colleges or universities in which they are interested in attending.

How to Find Colleges and Universities Using the Internet

For students who know that they are interested in attending particular schools, information about each institution can be found on the college's or university's website, usually in a section dedicated to admissions or prospective undergraduate students. Depending upon the college or university, students may also be able to take a virtual tour of the campus, apply for college admissions, schedule a campus visit, or talk with staff regarding any questions about the admissions process.

For students who are unsure of where they may like to attend, there are resources available to help match students with schools. Fastweb, a college financial aid directory, has a college finder that matches students with prospective colleges and universities based on grade point average, availability of campus activities, geographic location, size of the university, and several other factors. From there, students can research each institution over the Internet or request information from schools that interest the student.

Finding College Rankings Using the Internet

There are many ways to find out how a particular college or university ranks among peer institutions and among other colleges and universities using the Internet.

Individual colleges or universities may have webpages dedicated to awards, rankings, and recognitions that the institution as a whole has received in recent years. Additionally, schools may also have press releases or listings of particular awards, research grants, presentations, fellowships, or rankings that the school, one of its divisions, faculty or staff, or students have received. Not only can this give you an idea of what people outside the institution think of the school, but also what students, faculty, staff, and administration are doing in conjunction with the college or university.

Students who are looking to see how a particular college ranks in relation to other schools can use a variety of publications to research prospective colleges or universities. Publications such as The Princeton Review, U.S. News and World Report, Forbes magazine, and others publish annual rankings of colleges and universities based on a number of characteristics, such as cost of attendance vs. quality of education, party schools, individual fields of study, program offerings, and liberal arts colleges and universities.

Researching Colleges and Universities Online

For students who are looking for some slightly obscure facts about a college or university, professional trade organizations may be able to provide students with information about potential colleges and universities that are not typically found in traditional college rankings. Professional associations for campus programming, campus dining, and other services annually rank and assess member institutions and recognize the best in that particular field:

National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) - campus activities and programming
The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) - food and dining services
National Association of College Stores - bookstores and institutional retail
American College Health Association - campus health and wellness services

Interested students can also check out regional and national accreditation organizations to make sure an institution has received an accredited status or not. Additionally, individual degree programs are accredited by regional and national professional organizations, so students can also research a particular college or university's degree programs by looking at awards and feedback from these organizations.

Researching colleges and universities has come a long way since the days of calling or writing admissions offices to request informational brochures and applications. Today, there are a wide range of organizations and websites that prospective college students can use to research the colleges and universities in which they are interested in attending.