Three tools. One goal.

RealPrice helps you discover what college would actually cost your family, not the number on the brochure. Here's exactly how to use each tool and what to do with what you find.

Where should I start?

If you're just getting started, use Find Matches first. It asks a few quick questions about your situation and shows you colleges that may be affordable for your family's income, including ones that look expensive before financial aid is counted.

Once you have a few schools in mind, use Search to look up any specific college and see what it would cost across every income bracket. Then use Compare to put two schools side by side and see which one may be the better fit for your situation.

You don't need an account. RealPrice doesn't require a login, doesn't save your personal information, and is completely free. Just start using it.
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Find Matches
Discover colleges that may be affordable for your income bracket

This is the main tool. You tell RealPrice a few things about your situation, and it shows you up to 3 colleges that match, ranked by how affordable they actually are for your family's income, not how affordable they look at first.

How to use it:

1
Enter your ZIP code. This helps calculate distance from schools. It is not stored or shared.
2
Select your family income bracket. This is the most important field because it determines which net price data is used for your results. Pick the range that best matches your household income.
3
Set your preferences. These are optional: location, selectivity, school type, school level, campus size, and max yearly cost. Leave anything as no preference if you are not sure.
4
Type an intended major if you have one. Select one from the dropdown list. Leave it blank if you are undecided.
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Click "Find my matches." Results appear below the form.

How to read your results:

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The teal sentence below the school name explains why that school appeared and which factors made it rank highly for you.
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The strikethrough price is the listed sticker price. The large teal number is your estimated net price after aid for your income bracket. The gap shows how different those numbers are.
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The state comparison line tells you whether this school is above or below the average net price for schools in that state.
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These prices are estimates based on federal averages, not personalized guarantees. Use the "Get a precise estimate" link on each card to run the school's official net price calculator.
Tip: If you get "no schools matched," try loosening one filter at a time. The message will usually tell you which filter caused the empty result.
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Search
Look up any college and see cost by income bracket

Already have a school in mind? Search lets you look up any college and see what it costs for every income bracket in one table.

How to use it:

1
Type the school name. A dropdown will appear as you type. Select the school from the list. If you do not see it, try a shorter name.
2
Click "Look up this school." The school's pricing card appears below.

How to read the results:

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The price table shows the sticker price, estimated net price, and gap for each of the five income brackets.
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N/A means the federal data does not have enough information for that bracket at this school. It does not mean the school gives no aid.
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"Open net price calculator" links to the school's official calculator for a more precise estimate based on your family details.
Tip: Hover over the small info marks next to stats like admission rate and Pell student share if you are not sure what they mean.
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Compare
Put two colleges side by side

Trying to decide between two schools? Compare puts them side by side so you can see real price, graduation rate, Pell student share, major outcomes, and more in one place.

How to use it:

1
Select your income bracket. This determines which net price is shown for each school.
2
Optionally select an intended major. If data is available, the comparison will include earnings and debt data for that major.
3
Search for School A and School B. Type each school name and select it from the dropdown list.
4
Click "Compare schools." The comparison card appears below.

How to read the results:

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The teal box at the top summarizes the biggest differences in plain English.
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Cells highlighted in teal with a checkmark show which school is stronger on that metric, such as lower price or higher graduation rate.
Tip: Use Compare as a conversation starter with a counselor, parent, or trusted adult. It should help you ask better questions, not make the final decision by itself.
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What the stats mean
A quick guide to the numbers shown on school cards

RealPrice shows a few statistics to help you look beyond price. You do not need to memorize them, but knowing what each one means can help you ask better questions about a school.

1
Admission rate is the percentage of applicants who are offered admission. A lower admission rate usually means the school is more selective. If a school says "Not reported," it may be open enrollment or missing federal admissions data.
2
Graduation rate shows the share of full-time students who graduate within the federal reporting window, usually six years for a four-year college. Higher can be a good sign that students are getting through and earning degrees.
3
Retention rate shows the share of first-year students who return the next year. A higher retention rate can be a sign that students are finding support, stability, and a reason to stay.
4
Pell student share is the percentage of students receiving federal Pell Grants, which are usually awarded to lower-income students. A higher Pell share can suggest that a school has more experience serving students from lower-income families.
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Undergrad enrollment is the number of undergraduate students at the school. This helps you understand size: smaller schools may feel more personal, while larger schools may offer more programs and activities.
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Major outcomes show earnings and debt data for a specific major when federal data is available. These numbers are useful, but they are averages and may not represent every student in that major.
Tip: No single stat tells the whole story. A school can be affordable but have weak outcomes, or have strong outcomes but be a reach. Use the stats together, then talk through the results with a counselor or trusted adult.

What to do after you find results

RealPrice shows federal averages. That is a useful starting point, not a final answer. Here's what to do once you have schools in mind:

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Run each school's official net price calculator. This gives a personalized estimate based on your actual family finances.
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Share your results with your counselor. On the Find Matches page, the "Share results" button copies a link to your current search settings. When someone opens that link, RealPrice can restore the same ZIP code, income bracket, and preferences and rerun the search. The link is useful for counselors or family members because they can see the same kind of results you saw without needing your account information.
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Complete the FAFSA. RealPrice can show what a school might cost, but you need the FAFSA at studentaid.gov to unlock federal financial aid.
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Do not make decisions based only on cost. Price matters, but so do graduation rate, campus support, academic fit, safety, and distance from home.
Ready to see your real price?