Madness and Metrics

by Leigh Moore

3.26.2025

Beyond the Bracket: Round 3 – The College Cheat Sheet

March Madness is in full swing—and while many are glued to basketball brackets, thousands of families are caught in a different kind of frenzy: comparing college offers and making a final decision.

A few years ago, a friend asked me, “What are the 10 most important metrics to consider before making a final college choice?” That question sparked the idea to create a tool to show selected colleges side-by-side. Our College Cheat Sheet (aka College Tipsheet) was born. (Clarification: one of the most imporant considerations is cost, and that will be covered in the next post.)

As usual, you will need to hover above or click most every box in order to access details.

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The tool shown above tracks with the tournament, eliminating colleges as their teams fall out of competition. A more expansive version can be seen on our Free Viz of the Month page.

The final college choice is always emotional—about more than just numbers. Our hope is that every student knows why they’re going where they’re going, and circling back to available metrics can move things in the right direction.