# Niche Schools & Colleges Scraper (`parseforge/niche-schools-scraper`) Actor Scrape school and college rankings from Niche.com. Get Niche grades, acceptance rates, net price, SAT ranges, student counts, and featured reviews. Supports best colleges, public universities, and school district lists. - **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/niche-schools-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community) - **Categories:** Education, Lead generation, Other - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $5.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ![ParseForge Banner](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg) ## 🎓 Niche.com School Rankings Scraper Whether you're a student comparing colleges, an education researcher analyzing rankings, or a marketing agency targeting schools, this scraper delivers structured data from Niche.com's comprehensive school and university rankings. > **The Niche Scraper collects school rankings with Niche grades, acceptance rates, net prices, SAT ranges, student counts, student-teacher ratios, and featured reviews. Supports best colleges, public universities, and school district lists.** ### ✨ What Does It Do - 🏆 **Rankings** - rank position, Niche overall grade (A+ to F) - 🎓 **Admissions** - acceptance rate, SAT composite range - 💰 **Cost** - net price after financial aid - 👥 **Student body** - total students, student-teacher ratio - 📍 **Location** - city, state, latitude/longitude - ⭐ **Reviews** - featured review text and rating ### 🔧 Input ```json { "listType": "best-colleges", "maxItems": 100 } ```` Available list types: `best-colleges`, `top-public-universities`, `best-value-colleges`, `best-school-districts` ### 📊 Output Each school includes 20+ data fields. Download as JSON, CSV, or Excel. ```json { "imageUrl": "https://d1pkzhm5uq4mnt.cloudfront.net/...", "rank": 1, "name": "Massachusetts Institute of Technology", "url": "https://www.niche.com/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/", "city": "Cambridge", "state": "MA", "nicheGrade": "A+", "acceptRate": "4%", "netPrice": "$22,267", "satRange": "1520-1580", "totalStudents": "11,934", "featuredReview": "MIT provides unparalleled opportunities...", "scrapedAt": "2026-04-08T12:00:00.000Z" } ``` ### 📋 How to Use 1. **Sign Up** - [Create a free account w/ $5 credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) 2. **Configure** - choose ranking list type and how many schools you want 3. **Run It** - click "Start" and get structured school data ### 🎯 Business Use Cases - 🎓 **Students** - compare colleges by grade, cost, acceptance rate, and reviews - 📊 **Researchers** - analyze education quality trends across states and regions - 🏢 **EdTech companies** - build school comparison tools with real ranking data - 📈 **Marketing agencies** - target schools by ranking, location, and student body size - 🏛️ **Policy analysts** - compare public vs private school performance metrics ### 🔗 Integrate with any app - [Make](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/make) - Automate education data workflows - [Zapier](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/zapier) - Sync school data to your tools - [Google Drive](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/drive) - Export to spreadsheets - [Webhooks](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/webhooks) - Trigger actions when runs complete ### 💡 Recommended Actors | Actor | Description | Link | |-------|-------------|------| | College Scorecard Scraper | Federal college data with 65+ fields | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/college-scorecard-scraper) | | Greatschools Scraper | K-12 school ratings and reviews | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/greatschools-scraper) | | Grants.gov Scraper | Federal grant opportunities | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/grants-gov-scraper) | | Rate My Professors Scraper | Professor ratings and reviews | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/rate-my-professors-scraper) | | BLS Wage Data Scraper | Employment and wage statistics | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/bls-wage-data-scraper) | ### 🆘 Need Help? - Visit the [Apify documentation](https://docs.apify.com) for platform guides - Contact us at [Tally contact form](https://tally.so/r/BzdKgA) ### ⚠️ Disclaimer > This Actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Niche.com. It accesses only publicly available data. # Actor input Schema ## `listType` (type: `string`): The Niche ranking list to scrape. K-12 lists return all school types in the ranking (public, private, charter, etc.). ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000 ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Residential proxies are required to bypass Niche.com's PerimeterX protection ## Actor input object example ```json { "listType": "best-colleges", "maxItems": 10, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `overview` (type: `string`): Overview of scraped schools/colleges with key fields ## `fullData` (type: `string`): Complete dataset with all scraped fields # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "listType": "best-colleges", "maxItems": 10, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("parseforge/niche-schools-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "listType": "best-colleges", "maxItems": 10, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("parseforge/niche-schools-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "listType": "best-colleges", "maxItems": 10, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }' | apify call parseforge/niche-schools-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/niche-schools-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Niche Schools & Colleges Scraper", "description": "Scrape school and college rankings from Niche.com. Get Niche grades, acceptance rates, net price, SAT ranges, student counts, and featured reviews. Supports best colleges, public universities, and school district lists.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "D7yHTDIqLWYjCWzQP" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/parseforge~niche-schools-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-parseforge-niche-schools-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/parseforge~niche-schools-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-parseforge-niche-schools-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/parseforge~niche-schools-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-parseforge-niche-schools-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "listType": { "title": "List Type", "enum": [ "best-colleges", "top-public-universities", "best-value-colleges", "best-schools", "best-school-districts", "most-diverse-schools", "best-teachers-schools", "college-prep-schools", "largest-schools", "best-for-stem-schools", "best-for-arts-schools", "best-sports-schools", "standout-schools" ], "type": "string", "description": "The Niche ranking list to scrape. K-12 lists return all school types in the ranking (public, private, charter, etc.)." }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max Items", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000000, "type": "integer", "description": "Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000" }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Residential proxies are required to bypass Niche.com's PerimeterX protection" } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```