College Azimuth

College is the biggest investment most families make.

Make the right one.

Azimuth uses verified federal data to show which colleges deliver real financial and career results.

Same City, Same Earnings, Different Price

Two Chicago universities. Identical career outcomes. One costs $71,000 less.

DePaul

Private nonprofit institution · Chicago · IL

Net price per year
~$29,000
Student debt
~$23,000
Parent PLUS debt
~$42,000
4-year earnings
~$73,000
SAME EARNINGS • $71K LESS

UIC

Public institution · Chicago · IL

Net price per year
~$11,000
Student debt
~$17,000
Parent PLUS debt
~$24,000
4-year earnings
~$73,000

Graduates earn about the same amount in the same city, but UIC students save $71,000 over four years with $24,000 less total family debt.

Data from the College Scorecard. Net price is for families earning $48–75K; these are median figures, and your specific circumstances may vary.

Traditional rankings reward prestige. Azimuth measures results.

What Rankings Reward

  • Rejection rates (Exclusivity)
  • Alumni donation volume
  • Faculty salaries
  • Subjective peer surveys
Azimuth Standard

What Azimuth Measures

  • Graduate earnings four years after completion
  • Debt repayment risk
  • Graduation and retention rates
  • Economic mobility & value-added impact

"Prestige tells you who gets in. We show you what happens after graduation."

How Azimuth Helps Families Decide

  1. 1

    Ask

    Search for a school or ask a specific question about programs, outcomes, or costs.

  2. 2

    See

    Get a clear data briefing: earnings, debt, value-added impact, and mobility.

  3. 3

    Decide

    Compare options side-by-side and choose the best financial future.

Ready to find your path?

Find the schools that deliver real results

Popular Rankings

About Azimuth

Azimuth was built by Daniel Rogers to help families make data-driven college decisions. Our proprietary framework analyzes federal education data to measure what traditional rankings ignore: actual graduate outcomes, debt burden, and economic mobility.

Daniel's Story →Our Methodology →Research & Analysis →

College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. The information on this site is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. While we strive for accuracy, data may contain errors from original sources or our calculations. Always verify information independently before making important decisions.

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