Shiny app · Higher education
College peers
Find comparable U.S. colleges using institutional characteristics from IPEDS.
Open app ↗Explore similar colleges using the 2024–25 provisional IPEDS collection. Choose a target institution, adjust the importance of different characteristics, and narrow the candidate pool.
What makes a peer?
The matcher compares 38 measures across seven domains using a weighted Gower-style distance. Domain weights are adjustable, and pairs need at least 70% coverage of the target’s active feature weight.
Geographic distance is a separate filter, so proximity does not automatically make two colleges similar. Counts and dollar values are log-transformed before robust scaling; rates remain on their original scale.
Data and interpretation
Source: NCES Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Program composition uses broad CIP shares of 2023–24 awards.
Results support exploration of institutional similarities. They are not a ranking of institutional quality.