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CollegeHelpGuide

Free college planning tools

Interactive tools built on federal college data. No paywall, no email required, no marketing blast after you click. Each one answers a specific question with your data, not a generic blog post.

Ask the College Advisor

Planning

Overwhelmed? Ask a free AI advisor about applications, financial aid, tests, or choosing a school — and get pointed to the right guide or next step. We're upfront that it's AI.

For: Anyone who feels stuckOpen tool →

College Finder

Choosing

Filter 5,700+ U.S. colleges by state, size, net price, acceptance rate, and test policy — then save your matches and compare them side by side. All federal data.

For: Anyone building a college listOpen tool →

My College List

Choosing

Your saved colleges, compared on net price, acceptance rate, graduation rate, earnings, and debt. Saved on your device, no account needed. Export to CSV.

For: Students narrowing their choicesOpen tool →

College Match Quiz

Choosing

Six quick questions — budget, size, selectivity, and goals — and we rank the colleges that fit you, straight from federal data. Save your matches to compare.

For: Students starting a college listOpen tool →

Admissions Chance Calculator

Applications

Get a realistic estimate of your acceptance odds at any U.S. college. Inputs your GPA, SAT/ACT, and application strategy against federal admit-rate data for 6,000+ schools.

For: High school juniors & seniorsOpen tool →

College Cost Estimator

Financial Aid

See what college will actually cost you after financial aid. Compare net price by school type and your family income bracket.

For: Families starting financial planningOpen tool →

Student Loan Calculator

Financial Aid

Calculate your monthly loan payment before you borrow. See total interest over 10 or 20 years and what % of your paycheck loans will take.

For: Anyone considering student loansOpen tool →

Scholarship Application Checklist

Financial Aid

Track every scholarship you're applying for, deadlines, status, and amounts. Never miss a deadline again.

For: Students applying for scholarshipsOpen tool →

Tuition Payoff Calculator

Financial Aid

Plug in your tuition, your deadline, and your weekly hours. See the wage you need and which jobs realistically pay it. Pulls live federal student-program job listings too.

For: Students working to pay tuitionOpen tool →

Degree ROI Calculator

Choosing

Is your degree worth what you'll pay? Compares projected debt against expected salary by major to give a real ROI number.

For: Students choosing a majorOpen tool →

College Comparison Worksheet

Choosing

Side-by-side comparison of up to 5 schools — cost, acceptance rate, graduation rate, earnings, plus your own pros/cons notes.

For: Seniors choosing between acceptancesOpen tool →

SAT vs ACT Quiz

Test Prep

Find out which test plays to your strengths in 5 minutes. Saves you from studying twice or picking the wrong test.

For: Students starting test prepOpen tool →

4-Year College Planning Checklist

Planning

What to do each year of high school to land at a great college — broken down by grade, with check-off tracking.

For: Freshmen through seniorsOpen tool →

College Planning Calendar

Planning

Every important date in the college process — FAFSA opening, application deadlines, AP exams, decision day — organized month by month with what to do this month highlighted.

For: Students, parents, counselorsOpen tool →

How these are different:Every tool here uses actual federal data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. We don't make up numbers, we don't guess at salaries, and we don't hide affiliate links inside the results. If you spot a number that looks wrong, tell us and we'll show you the source.