Canvas Lms MCP vs College Scorecard MCP Server
A side-by-side look at the Canvas Lms MCP and College Scorecard MCP Server MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Canvas Lms MCP for education work as a local process; choose College Scorecard MCP Server for education as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Canvas Lms MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Education domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
CANVAS_API_TOKEN, CANVAS_BASE_URL, CANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS. - You want tools like
health_check, list_courses, get_course.
Choose College Scorecard MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Education domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
SCORECARD_API_KEY. - You want tools like
scorecard_search_schools, scorecard_get_school, scorecard_compare_schools.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Education | Education |
| Quality signal | 67/100 · Great | 57/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | API key required | API key required |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | CANVAS_API_TOKENCANVAS_BASE_URLCANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS | SCORECARD_API_KEY |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 10 | 1 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 174 | 9 |
| Full listing | View Canvas Lms MCP | View College Scorecard MCP Server |
Tools & capabilities
Canvas Lms MCP tools 174
health_checkCheck if the Canvas API is reachable and the token is valid. Returns ok/error status.list_coursesList courses for the authenticated user. Use fields="slim" when enumerating courses for selection; switch to "full" once you have identified the target. slim returns id, name, course_code, term name, and workflow_state only. "full" (default) includes all Canvas fields plus `include` extras (teachers, total_students, syllabus_body, etc.). `state[]` narrows by course workflow state; `enrollment_state` narrows by the caller's enrollment state.get_courseGet details for a single course. Defaults to requesting `term` and `total_students`. Pass `include` to replace the default set with custom Canvas include[] fields (teachers, permissions, syllabus_body, sections, etc.).get_syllabusGet the syllabus HTML body for a course.create_courseCreate a new course in a Canvas account. Returns the created course object.update_courseUpdate an existing course. Only provided fields are changed; omitted fields are left as-is.list_assignmentsList all assignments in a course. Use fields="slim" when enumerating assignments for selection; switch to "full" once you've identified the target. slim returns id, name, due_at, points_possible, published, and course_id only. "full" (default) includes all Canvas fields plus `include` extras (submission, all_dates, overrides, score_statistics, etc.). Use `bucket` to filter by past/upcoming/overdue/etc. Other filters: `search_term`, `assignment_ids`, `order_by`.get_assignmentGet details for a single assignment by ID. Use `include` to request submission, overrides, all_dates, score_statistics, and other optional fields.list_assignment_groupsList assignment groups (categories like Homework, Exams) in a course. Use `include=assignments` to nest assignments under each group; other includes add submission, overrides, score_statistics, etc.create_assignmentCreate a new assignment in a course.update_assignmentUpdate an existing assignment in a course.delete_assignmentDelete an assignment from a course. This action is permanent.- +162 more on the listing page
College Scorecard MCP Server tools 9
scorecard_search_schoolsSearch institutions by name, location, type, size, acceptance rate, and single-sex flags; sort by supported API fields. Returns core identity and cost metrics.scorecard_get_schoolFull institutional profiles — costs, admissions, outcomes, aid, demographics, single-sex flags, and completion rates.scorecard_compare_schoolsNormalized side-by-side comparison of 2–5 schools on a named topic. Returns metric values, ordinal ranks, and a comparison summary.scorecard_get_programsField-of-study programs at one school: median 1-year earnings, cumulative Stafford/Grad PLUS debt, and IPEDS awards in the two pooled debt-cohort years.scorecard_search_programsFind programs by CIP and credential or keyword, retain degree identity, and rank earnings within each fetched school page.scorecard_get_earningsEarnings of federally aided undergraduate entrants working and not enrolled, regardless of completion: 6/8/10-year medians, 6/10-year P25/P75, and non-male/male 6-year medians.scorecard_value_analysisWorkflow tool: parallel-fetches cost, debt, repayment, and earnings data, then computes ROI metrics — debt-to-earnings ratio and net price to earnings ratio.scorecard_lookup_cipSearch 186 curated NCES CIP 2020 four-digit groups by code, keyword, or related program name. Served offline.scorecard_list_fieldsSearch the Scorecard field catalog by keyword. Returns matching field paths, descriptions, data types, and sort support. Use before passing custom `fields` parameters.
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Canvas Lms MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"canvas-lms-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"canvas-lms-mcp"
],
"env": {
"CANVAS_API_TOKEN": "YOUR_CANVAS_API_TOKEN_HERE",
"CANVAS_BASE_URL": "YOUR_CANVAS_BASE_URL_HERE",
"CANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS": "YOUR_CANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS_HERE"
}
}
}
}
College Scorecard MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"college-scorecard-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@cyanheads/college-scorecard-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"SCORECARD_API_KEY": "YOUR_SCORECARD_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Canvas Lms MCP is categorized under Education and uses a local stdio subprocess. College Scorecard MCP Server belongs to Education and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Canvas Lms MCP for education work and College Scorecard MCP Server for education.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Canvas Lms MCP is listed as free. Auth: api key required. College Scorecard MCP Server has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Auth: api key required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add canvas-lms-mcp and college-scorecard-mcp-server as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Canvas Lms MCP has a quality signal of 67/100 (Great) with 2 views, 0 installs and 10 GitHub stars. College Scorecard MCP Server has 57/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars.