Bring Higher Education
to Cursor
Create your Vinkius account to connect College Scorecard API to Cursor and start using all 6 AI tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code. No hosting, no server setup — just connect and start using.
GDPR Free for SubscribersCompatible with every major AI agent and IDE
Gemini
What is the 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.
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.
How it works
- Subscribe to this server
- Enter your Data.gov API Key
- Start managing your education intelligence through Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client
Who is this for?
- Students & Parents — monitor college options and retrieve cost metadata straight from your workflow.
- Academic Researchers — verify enrollment trends and audit program distributions without manual database searches.
- Guidance Counselors — perform rapid audits of nearby schools and identify program markers through natural language.
- Operations Leads — automate education data querying to orchestrate cross-functional outreach teams smoothly.
Built-in capabilities (6)
Get full details for a specific college by ID
Get details for specific programs or fields of study
List schools in a specific city
List all schools in a specific state
List schools near a specific ZIP code
Search for colleges and universities in the US
Why Cursor?
Cursor's Agent mode turns College Scorecard API into an in-editor superpower. Ask Cursor to generate code using live data from College Scorecard API and it fetches, processes, and writes. all in a single agentic loop. 6 tools appear alongside file editing and terminal access, creating a unified development environment grounded in real-time information.
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Agent mode turns Cursor into an autonomous coding assistant that can read files, run commands, and call MCP tools without switching context
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Cursor's Composer feature can generate entire files using real-time data fetched through MCP. no copy-pasting from external dashboards
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MCP tools appear alongside built-in tools like file reading and terminal access, creating a unified agentic environment
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VS Code extension compatibility means your existing workflow, keybindings, and extensions all work alongside MCP tools
College Scorecard API in Cursor
Why run College Scorecard API with Vinkius?
The College Scorecard API connection runs on our fully managed, secure cloud infrastructure. We handle the hosting, maintenance, and security so you don't have to deal with servers or code. All 6 tools are ready to work instantly without any complex setup.
You stay in complete control of your data. Your AI only accesses the information you approve, keeping your sensitive passwords and private details completely safe. Plus, with automatic optimizations, your AI works faster and more efficiently.
* Every connection is hosted and maintained by Vinkius. We handle the security, updates, and infrastructure so you don't have to write code or manage servers. See our infrastructure
Over 4,000 integrations ready for AI agents
Explore a vast library of pre-built integrations, optimized and ready to deploy.
Connect securely in under 30 seconds
Generate tokens to authenticate and link external services in a single step.
Complete visibility into every agent action
Audit live requests, latency, success rates, and active security compliance policies.
Optimize spending and track token ROI
Analyze real-time token consumption and cost metrics detailed by connection.
Explore our live AI Agents Analytics dashboard to see it all working
This dashboard is included when you connect College Scorecard API using Vinkius. You will never be left in the dark about what your AI agents are doing with your tools.
College Scorecard API and 4,000+ other AI tools. No hosting, no code, ready to use.
Professionals who connect College Scorecard API to Cursor through Vinkius don't need to write code, manage servers, or worry about security. Everything is pre-configured, secure, and runs automatically in the background.
Raw MCP | Vinkius | |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-to-use MCPs | Find and configure each manually | 4,000+ MCPs ready to use |
| Connection Setup | Manual coding & server setup | 1-click instant connection |
| Server Hosting | You host it yourself (needs 24/7 uptime) | 100% hosted & managed by Vinkius |
| Security & Privacy | Stored in plaintext config files | Bank-grade encrypted vault |
| Activity Visibility | Blind execution (no logs or tracking) | Live dashboard with real-time logs |
| Cost Control | Runaway AI token spend risk | Automatic budget limits |
| Revoking Access | Must delete files or code to stop | 1-click disconnect button |
How Vinkius secures
College Scorecard API for Cursor
Every request between Cursor and College Scorecard API is protected by our secure gateway. We automatically keep your sensitive data private, prevent unauthorized access, and let you disconnect instantly at any time.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my College Scorecard API Key?
Register for a free API Key at Data.gov. Your key will be displayed instantly and sent via email. Copy and paste it below.
Can the agent filter by school state?
Yes. Use the list_colleges_by_state tool providing the 2-letter ISO state code (e.g., 'CA' for California). Your agent will return all matching schools in that state instantly.
Is student body size data provided?
Yes. The school records retrieved by your agent include the latest official student size (enrollment) for undergraduate programs where available.
What is Agent mode and why does it matter for MCP?
Agent mode is Cursor's autonomous execution mode where the AI can perform multi-step tasks: reading files, editing code, running terminal commands, and calling MCP tools. Without Agent mode, Cursor operates in a simpler ask-and-answer mode that doesn't support tool calling. Always ensure you're in Agent mode when working with MCP servers.
Where does Cursor store MCP configuration?
Cursor looks for MCP server configurations in a mcp.json file. You can configure servers at the project level (.cursor/mcp.json in your project root) or globally (~/.cursor/mcp.json). Project-level configs take precedence.
Can Cursor use MCP tools in inline edits?
No. MCP tools are only available in Agent mode through the chat panel. Inline completions and Tab suggestions do not trigger MCP tool calls. This is by design. tool calls require user visibility and approval.
How do I verify MCP tools are loaded?
Open Settings → Features → MCP and look for your server name. A green indicator means the server is connected. You can also check Agent mode's available tools by clicking the tools dropdown in the chat panel.
Tools not appearing in Cursor
Ensure you are in Agent mode (not Ask mode). MCP tools only work in Agent mode.
Server shows as disconnected
Check Settings → Features → MCP and verify the server status. Try clicking the refresh button.
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