About Ask Kinsley

Ask Kinsley exists to answer one question honestly: is that degree worth it? College is the largest purchase most families make before a house, and the marketing around it rarely mentions what graduates actually earn. We put the numbers first.

Where the data comes from

Every salary, cost, and graduation figure on this site comes from public federal datasets — primarily the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Value Score methodology explains exactly how we combine earnings, true cost, break-even time, and completion rates into a single 0–100 score. We don't adjust numbers, and no school can pay to change its score.

How content is produced

Our articles are researched and drafted with the help of AI tools, working from the same federal datasets that power our scorecards, and published under the Ask Kinsley research team. Every piece follows the same standards: money and outcome claims trace to public sources, figures are presented as ranges where data varies, and we plainly say “numbers vary” because they do. If you find an error, email support@askkinsley.com and we'll correct it.

How we make money

Two ways, both disclosed: students can book paid 20-minute video calls with verified alumni (alumni keep the majority of the fee), and we may show advertising in the future. We do not sell school placements, accept pay-for-ranking, or take referral fees from colleges. Rankings are computed from data, period.

What we are not

We are not financial advisors, and a Value Score is one input among many — campus fit, program strength, and your own financial picture matter too. Costs shown reflect students who used federal financial aid, and earnings reflect medians that individual outcomes will beat or miss.

Get in touch

Questions, corrections, or press: support@askkinsley.com.