Frequently Asked Questions

GradFax is a free, student-first college search platform. Think "Carfax for colleges" — we pull verified data from government databases (IPEDS, College Scorecard) so you can see the real numbers behind every school. No sponsored rankings, no ads, no BS.

Every data point on GradFax is sourced from verified government databases. Our primary sources are IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. We also use OpenStreetMap for location data and Open-Meteo for weather. Every stat links back to its source so you can verify it yourself.

Yes. GradFax is free for students, forever. No premium tier, no paywalls, no "upgrade to see more results." We plan to sustain the platform by letting schools pay to add verified information to their profiles — but they can never buy rankings or hide data.

We update our core datasets (tuition, enrollment, graduation rates, acceptance rates) every time IPEDS releases new data, typically every 3-6 months. Earnings data from College Scorecard is updated quarterly. Some community-sourced data like reviews and Greek life info is updated on an ongoing basis.

GradFax was built by Josh Freedman, a student who picked a school based on marketing promises that turned out to be false. After realizing the entire college search industry profits from student confusion, he built GradFax to give students the verified data they need to make informed decisions.

You can browse school pages and use basic search without an account. To save schools, use the Decision Matrix, track deadlines, access scholarships, and get personalized features, you'll need a free account with an invite code (we're currently in beta).

It's a quick questionnaire about your preferences — campus size, location, vibe, academics, budget, and more. GradFax uses your answers to score and rank all ~6,000 schools in our database, showing you personalized Safety, Match, and Reach categories.

Just type what you're looking for in plain language — "small engineering schools in California under $30k" or "schools with good business programs near the beach." Our search engine extracts your preferences and scores every school against them. No filters to click through.

IDK Mode is for students who aren't sure what they want yet. Instead of asking you to specify preferences, it walks you through casual questions and progressively narrows down schools that might be a good fit. It's the "I have no idea where to start" starting point.

Save schools you're interested in, then use the Compare tool to see them side-by-side on key metrics. For a deeper analysis, the Decision Matrix lets you weight what matters most to you (cost, location, academics, etc.) and generates a ranked score.

We collect only what's necessary: your email for authentication, your profile preferences for personalized matching, and your saved schools/scholarships. We don't track your browsing across the web, sell your data, or share it with schools without your explicit permission.

No. Schools cannot access your personal information without your explicit permission. Period. This is a core principle of GradFax — we exist to serve students, not to sell them. If a school wants to reach you, you opt in first.

Email josh@gradfax.com and we'll delete your account and all associated data. We're working on a self-service option in your profile settings.