Unigo secures $1.6 million for college reviews

Find facts about a university, see photos, watch videos and talk to counselors

Unigo.com, a one-stop shop for anyone to learn about colleges from students and professors with first-hand experience, announced Thursday that it has raised $1.6 million in its first round of institutional funding. The McGraw-Hill Companies led the round.

On Unigo, you can type in the name of any college you’re interested in researching, and the site will return a comprehensive page detailing everything it knows about the school, from location and tuition to pictures and videos. (Above is a screenshot of the page for my alma mater, Pomona College.)

More important than the basic facts, however, is the way that Unigo aggregates answers from real students. For example, if you want a general overview of what Pomona’s like, you can read some words written by students at pretty much every class level and in different departments as well. Or if you want to know what the dating scene is like, you can watch a video featuring three coeds discussing the very issue.

Besides the college reviews, Unigo also gives its users access to advice from actual counselors on everything from choosing a college to getting in to paying for the education. As any graduating high school student knows, applying to college is a monumental task, so advice in any of those areas could be a boon.

“Traditionally, guidance on how to choose, get in and pay for college has only been accessible to the privileged few,” said Jordan Goldman, founder & CEO of Unigo. “With this new round of capital, we will expand our incredible network of college counselors and college students and introduce powerful new tools to support the leap to higher education for everyone.”

Goldman previously penned the Students’ Guide to Colleges, a well-reviewed book on the topic of colleges.

Another big part of Unigo’s announcement today is word that the company’s content will be included with US News & World Report’s ranking of colleges, a list set to be released this month. Those rankings, despite what anyone might say about their relevance or validity, are watched closely by parents, students and schools alike.

The new funding will be used to expand to both graduate schools and accredited universities outside the U.S., extending Unigo’s reach.