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Connect College Scorecard API to ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

Set it up once and it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any other client you love. It all runs safely in the background, so you can relax and focus on what really matters. Pull official US school performance and cost records directly into your agent.

Ask AI about this Connector

Developed, maintained, and hosted by Vinkius.

MCP VERIFIED · PRODUCTION READY · VINKIUS GUARANTEED

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Works with modern AI clients that support MCP, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and more.

ChatGPTClaudeCursorPerplexityGeminiMicrosoft CopilotRaycastMeta AI

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

No other AI tool gives you this. Your workflow runs in the client you already love, your account stays protected, and you decide what the agent can and cannot do. It is the whole reason to make the switch.

Each Connector lives inside our infrastructure, the same place where your workflow runs. The three things below are already part of it, working quietly in the background so you never have to think about them. Nothing to add, nothing to set up, nothing to worry about.

A futuristic MCP client docking bay
V8 Isolate01

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed V8 runtime — no access to your files, your system, or other servers. A Connector never sees past its own request.

Kill Switch02

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

One action deactivates every Connector, revokes every token, and ends every session at once. AI Governance keeps the record.

FinOps per User03

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

Every user keeps their own connections and credentials, isolated from everyone else. Anything that would cross your spending limit is held for your approval, not billed.

Three controls, built into the layer your AI connects through.

Curated set · 6 capabilities

We ship only the actions that matter.

Capability set01 / 02

01-03

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 6 available through College Scorecard.

  1. 01

    Get college details

    Retrieves the full profile for a specific college using its unique ID.

  2. 02

    Get fields of study

    Fetches specific details regarding academic programs or fields of study.

  3. 03

    List colleges by state

    Returns a list of all schools located within a specific state.

Capability set02 / 02

04-06

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 6 available through College Scorecard.

  1. 04

    Search colleges

    Searches the national database for colleges and universities by name.

  2. 05

    List colleges by city

    Finds all schools operating within a specific city.

  3. 06

    List colleges by zip

    Identifies schools located near a specific ZIP code.

Real work

What teams actually run

01

Financial Planning

Compare tuition costs across different universities to build a budget.

02

Regional Research

Identify all available higher education options within a specific ZIP code or city.

03

Academic Auditing

Verify if a specific field of study is offered at a target institution.

04

Trend Monitoring

Analyze enrollment changes and demographic shifts across various states.

Automate a task

Put College Scorecard to work on one thing.

Step-by-step automations your AI runs through this Connector: the workflow, the prompts to start with, and the exact capabilities behind each move.

One connector, every AI

College Scorecard works with the most popular AI clients.

These are the most popular clients, each with a step-by-step guide: one link, set up once, with governance and visibility built in. And because everything runs on the MCP standard, the same connection also works in any other compatible client — nothing to rebuild.

ClaudeClaudeChatGPTChatGPTGeminiGeminiPerplexityPerplexityGrokGrokMicrosoft CopilotMicrosoft CopilotCursorCursorVS CodeVS CodeWindsurfWindsurfJetBrainsJetBrainsClineClineLangChainLangChainVercel AI SDKVercel AI SDKLovableLovableZ.aiZ.aiRaycastRaycastQwen CodeQwen CodeKimi CodeKimi CodeLe ChatLe Chat

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

You don't need a client to put College Scorecard to work: the same hosted connection plugs into your own applications and agent code, with the same governance on every request. Build with it, chat with it — one connection for both.

Observed, not estimated

913ms average. Fast in production.

College Scorecard is checked daily against the live service.

Daily averagePeak 1215ms
Oct 4Today
Fastest day
674ms
Slowest day
1215ms
14-day trend
Improving-7%

Connect your client

One URL. Every client.

Activate the Connector, copy your link, and paste it into the client you already use. 6 capabilities arrive ready to run.

Preview access · not provider authentication

The vk_preview_* token belongs to Vinkius preview infrastructure. It lets Claude discover and display the capabilities of College Scorecard, so you can see the experience inside your AI.

It does not authenticate your account with College Scorecard. Actions requiring credentials or live account data may not run until you activate the Connector and authorize the service.

College Scorecard Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_Ais6261NuKu7n0Wq0B6MXFxqW6QudnVZyF3yo3Lb/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — College Scorecard capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "college-scorecard-api-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_Ais6261NuKu7n0Wq0B6MXFxqW6QudnVZyF3yo3Lb/mcp"
    }
  }
}
  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Step-by-step instructions for each client are in the guide. How to connect

Guided setup for Claude? Set up College Scorecard in Claude and other AIs

See all the AI clients this connector works with ↑

Who it's for

Built for the work College Scorecard owners hand off.

This MCP is built for anyone needing verified US higher education data without manual database searching.

  • 01

    Students and Parents

    They use the agent to monitor college options and pull cost metadata.

  • 02

    Academic Researchers

    They hand off enrollment trend verification and program distribution audits to the agent.

  • 03

    Guidance Counselors

    They use the agent to perform rapid audits of nearby schools and identify program markers.

FAQ

Questions College Scorecard owners ask.

  • 01

    Where does this data come from?

    The data is pulled directly from the United States Department of Education's official College Scorecard API.

  • 02

    Do I need my own API key?

    Yes, you will need to enter your own Data.gov API Key to connect this MCP to your agent.

  • 03

    Which AI capabilities can I use with this?

    You can use this MCP with any compatible client, including Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf.

  • 04

    Can I search for schools by location?

    Yes, the agent can list schools by state, by city, or by searching near a specific ZIP code.

  • 05

    Is the cost information accurate?

    The information is pulled from official government records to ensure it is grounded in verified data.

  • 06

    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.

  • 07

    Can the agent filter by school state?

    Yes. Use the list_colleges_by_state capability providing the 2-letter ISO state code (e.g., 'CA' for California). Your agent will return all matching schools in that state instantly.

  • 08

    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.

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