BigFuture vs Peterson's College Search
BigFuture
bigfuture.collegeboard.orgPeterson's College Search
petersons.comSide by side
| Figure | BigFuture | Peterson's College Search |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · College Search Platforms | 8.2 (#4) | 7.4 (#21) |
| Audience | BigFuture is designed for students considering four-year universities, community colleges, career training, or who are still exploring their options. | Peterson’s describes its services as serving students, parents, educators, administrators, and service members. |
| Privacy and security | College Board says it collects personal information to administer tests and deliver educational opportunities, while students and families control how much additional information they disclose. | Peterson’s says it uses technical and organizational security measures and notes that internet transmission and storage cannot be guaranteed fully secure. |
| Purpose | BigFuture helps students explore careers, plan for college, and pay for college after high school. | Peterson’s online college search helps students discover educational programs that fit them. |
| Support | BigFuture School users can contact support at (866) 630-9305 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. | Customer and technical support is available Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm Mountain time, by email and phone, with an online FAQ and knowledge base. |
Plans
In their own words
BigFuture
BigFuture is a free resource for students exploring careers, planning for college, and considering how to pay for education after high school. Its Career Quiz suggests 30 personalized career options, and more than 1,000 profiles describe salary, education, and job outlook. Students can specify preferences such as location, cost, and majors to get a personalized college list, then filter searches by criteria including campus life and save schools. Tools cover college costs and financial aid, with scholarship resources as well. Students can qualify for $40,000 and $500 BigFuture Scholarships by completing six planning steps; there is no essay or minimum GPA or test score requirement. Students may also opt in to Student Search Service, which connects them with more than 1,200 colleges and scholarship programs. BigFuture is available on Android, iOS, and the web. The separate free BigFuture School app offers SAT Suite score access and personalized college and career guidance to eligible students; access requires age 13 or older, a participating U.S. school, and an eligible in-school test or AP course, and exclusions may apply.
Peterson's College Search
Peterson's College Search has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.