College Scorecard API MCP Server for Windsurf 6 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
Windsurf brings agentic AI coding to a purpose-built IDE. Connect College Scorecard API through Vinkius and Cascade will auto-discover every tool. ask questions, generate code, and act on live data without leaving your editor.
ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER
Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.
Vinkius Desktop App
The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install College Scorecard API and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.
{
"mcpServers": {
"college-scorecard-api": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
About College Scorecard API MCP Server
Empower your AI agent to orchestrate your entire higher education research workflow with College Scorecard API, the authoritative source for United States school performance and cost data. By connecting the Department of Education's API to your agent, you transform complex college searches into a natural conversation. Your agent can instantly search for schools, audit enrollment metadata, and retrieve detailed program reports without you ever touching a government portal. Whether you are a student planning your future or a researcher monitoring academic trends, your agent acts as a real-time education consultant, ensuring your data is always grounded in official, government-verified records.
Windsurf's Cascade agent chains multiple College Scorecard API tool calls autonomously. query data, analyze results, and generate code in a single agentic session. Paste Vinkius Edge URL, reload, and all 6 tools are immediately available. Real-time tool feedback appears inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor.
What you can do
- School Auditing — Search for thousands of US colleges and universities by name and retrieve detailed metadata, including location and website links.
- Enrollment Oversight — Retrieve latest student body size and demographics to maintain a clear view of campus scale.
- Geographic Discovery — List schools by state, city, or near specific ZIP codes to identify regional academic hubs instantly.
- Program Intelligence — Query specific fields of study and program data to understand the academic offerings of different institutions.
- Cost Analysis — Retrieve data on tuition and costs to assist in financial planning for higher education.
The College Scorecard API MCP Server exposes 6 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Windsurf in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
How to Connect College Scorecard API to Windsurf via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the College Scorecard API MCP Server with Windsurf.
Open MCP Settings
Go to Settings → MCP Configuration or press Cmd+Shift+P and search "MCP"
Add the server
Paste the JSON configuration above into mcp_config.json
Save and reload
Windsurf will detect the new server automatically
Start using College Scorecard API
Open Cascade and ask: "Using College Scorecard API, help me...". 6 tools available
Why Use Windsurf with the College Scorecard API MCP Server
Windsurf provides unique advantages when paired with College Scorecard API through the Model Context Protocol.
Windsurf's Cascade agent autonomously chains multiple tool calls in sequence, solving complex multi-step tasks without manual intervention
Purpose-built for agentic workflows. Cascade understands context across your entire codebase and integrates MCP tools natively
JSON-based configuration means zero code changes: paste a URL, reload, and all 6 tools are immediately available
Real-time tool feedback is displayed inline, so you see API responses directly in your editor without switching contexts
College Scorecard API + Windsurf Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Windsurf combined with the College Scorecard API MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Automated code generation: ask Cascade to fetch data from College Scorecard API and generate models, types, or handlers based on real API responses
Live debugging: query College Scorecard API tools mid-session to inspect production data while debugging without leaving the editor
Documentation generation: pull schema information from College Scorecard API and have Cascade generate comprehensive API docs automatically
Rapid prototyping: combine College Scorecard API data with Cascade's code generation to scaffold entire features in minutes
College Scorecard API MCP Tools for Windsurf (6)
These 6 tools become available when you connect College Scorecard API to Windsurf via MCP:
get_college_details
Get full details for a specific college by ID
get_fields_of_study
Get details for specific programs or fields of study
list_colleges_by_city
List schools in a specific city
list_colleges_by_state
List all schools in a specific state
list_colleges_by_zip
List schools near a specific ZIP code
search_colleges
Search for colleges and universities in the US
Example Prompts for College Scorecard API in Windsurf
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Windsurf agent to start working with College Scorecard API immediately.
"Search for schools named 'Harvard' using College Scorecard API."
"List colleges in the state of 'NY'."
"What is the student size for school ID 166027?"
Troubleshooting College Scorecard API MCP Server with Windsurf
Common issues when connecting College Scorecard API to Windsurf through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Server not connecting
College Scorecard API + Windsurf FAQ
Common questions about integrating College Scorecard API MCP Server with Windsurf.
How does Windsurf discover MCP tools?
mcp_config.json file on startup and connects to each configured server via Streamable HTTP. Tools are listed in the MCP panel and available to Cascade automatically.Can Cascade chain multiple MCP tool calls?
Does Windsurf support multiple MCP servers?
mcp_config.json. Each server's tools appear in the MCP panel and Cascade can use tools from different servers in a single flow.Connect College Scorecard API with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
Anthropic's native desktop app for Claude with built-in MCP support.
AI-first code editor with integrated LLM-powered coding assistance.
GitHub Copilot in VS Code with Agent mode and MCP support.
Purpose-built IDE for agentic AI coding workflows.
Autonomous AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code.
Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development.
Python SDK for building production-grade OpenAI agent workflows.
Google's framework for building production AI agents.
Type-safe agent development for Python with first-class MCP support.
TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect College Scorecard API to Windsurf
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 6 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.