College Scorecard MCP Server vs Pickuppatrol MCP

A side-by-side look at the College Scorecard MCP Server and Pickuppatrol MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.

College Scorecard MCP Server logoCollege Scorecard MCP ServerEducation · Local subprocess (stdio)Search, compare, and analyze U.S. college data — costs, earnings, programs, and outcomes.57GoodAuth: api key requiredPickuppatrol MCP logoPickuppatrol MCPEducation · Local subprocess (stdio)Read and change your children's school dismissal plans in PickUp Patrol57GoodAuth: other

Verdict: choose College Scorecard MCP Server for education work as a local process; choose Pickuppatrol MCP for education as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

College Scorecard MCP Server logoChoose 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.
Explore College Scorecard MCP Server

Pickuppatrol MCP logoChoose Pickuppatrol MCP when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Education domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • Its auth model fits you: other.
  • You have the keys it needs: PICKUPPATROL_USERNAME, PICKUPPATROL_PASSWORD.
  • You want tools like pup_get_session, pup_list_students, pup_get_student.
Explore Pickuppatrol MCP

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecCollege Scorecard MCP Server logoCollege Scorecard MCP ServerPickuppatrol MCP logoPickuppatrol MCP
CategoryEducationEducation
Quality signal57/100 · Good57/100 · Good
Install commandConfirmedConfirmed
TransportLocal subprocess (stdio)Local subprocess (stdio)
AuthAPI key requiredother
PricingNot declaredFree
Required env varsSCORECARD_API_KEYPICKUPPATROL_USERNAMEPICKUPPATROL_PASSWORD
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars10
Directory activity 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools914

Tools & capabilities

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.

Pickuppatrol MCP tools 14

  • pup_get_sessionThe signed-in account and the students linked to it
  • pup_list_studentsEvery student with their weekly defaults and review flag
  • pup_get_studentOne student in full
  • pup_get_default_plansA student's weekly default plan, day by day
  • pup_list_plansDay-by-day plans across a date range
  • pup_get_planOne student, one date — including whether it is locked
  • pup_list_transportationsA school's dismissal options and the rules each imposes
  • pup_get_schoolSchool profile, notify times, cutoff times, settings
  • pup_list_non_school_daysDates no plan can be set for, and dates already changed
  • pup_list_car_numbersCar numbers the school issued to this account
  • pup_healthcheckCredentials sign in and the API answers; on failure, `error.kind` says which hop broke (`edge_blocked`, `credential_rejected`, …)
  • pup_set_planDismissal for one or more specific dates, or clears them back to the default
  • +2 more on the listing page

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.

College Scorecard MCP Server

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "college-scorecard-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cyanheads/college-scorecard-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SCORECARD_API_KEY": "YOUR_SCORECARD_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Pickuppatrol MCP

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pickuppatrol-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@chrischall/pickuppatrol-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PICKUPPATROL_USERNAME": "YOUR_PICKUPPATROL_USERNAME_HERE",
        "PICKUPPATROL_PASSWORD": "YOUR_PICKUPPATROL_PASSWORD_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

College Scorecard MCP Server is categorized under Education and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pickuppatrol MCP belongs to Education and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick College Scorecard MCP Server for education work and Pickuppatrol MCP 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.

College Scorecard MCP Server has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Auth: api key required. Pickuppatrol MCP is listed as free. Auth: other. 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 college-scorecard-mcp-server and pickuppatrol-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, College Scorecard MCP Server has a quality signal of 57/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars. Pickuppatrol MCP has 57/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.