Layer 1
Verified college data
IPEDS, College Scorecard, and other sourced metrics with dataset name and reporting year. Facts are never rewritten for commercial partners.
Editorial
Editorial
Editorial
Editorial
Editorial independence by design
Every CollegesRef page separates verified data, editorial judgment, personalized AI context, and commercial content so students always know what they are reading and why it appears.
Layer 1
IPEDS, College Scorecard, and other sourced metrics with dataset name and reporting year. Facts are never rewritten for commercial partners.
Layer 2
Human-reviewed interpretation and context, clearly labeled on every profile. Editorial summaries do not override sourced statistics.
Layer 3
Grounded in retrieved evidence from verified records and approved editorial content. AI output never replaces facts or hides uncertainty.
Layer 4
Optional, always labeled, and firewall-separated from organic rankings, fit scores, and similarity results.
Factual corrections use a separate workflow from commercial inquiries. Report errors via Contact Us with source citations when possible. Editorial and data teams review corrections before publication.
Commercial delivery records, lead requests, and partner contracts are stored separately from editorial revisions and fit calculations. All partner access is logged and auditable.