library(rscorecard)
df <- sc_init() %>%
sc_filter(region == 2, ccbasic == c(21,22,23), locale == 41:43) %>%
sc_select(unitid, instnm, stabbr) %>%
sc_year(2013) %>%
sc_get()
#> Request complete!
df
#> # A tibble: 8 × 4
#> unitid instnm stabbr
#> * <int> <chr> <chr>
#> 1 191515 Hamilton College NY
#> 2 197230 Wells College NY
#> 3 214759 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly PA
#> 4 214625 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington PA
#> 5 191676 Houghton College NY
#> 6 196051 Morrisville State College NY
#> 7 214643 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre PA
#> 8 194392 Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science NY
#> # ... with 1 more variables: year <dbl>sc_init()Use sc_init() to start the command chain. The only real option is whether you want to use standard variable names (as they are found in IPEDS) or the new developer-friendly variable names developed for the Scorecard API. Unless you have good reason for doing so, I recommend using the default standard names. If you want to use the developer-friendly names, set dfvars = TRUE. Whichever you choose, you’re stuck with that option for the length of piped command chain; no switching from one type to another.
sc_get()Use sc_get() as the last command in the chain. If you haven’t used sc_key to store your data.gov API key in the system environment, then you must supply your key as an argument.
The following commands are structured to behave like dplyr. They can be placed in any order in the piped command chain and each one relies (for the most part) on non-standard evaluation for its arguments. This means that you don’t have to quote variable names.
sc_select()Use sc_select() to select the variables (columns) you want in your final dataframe. These variables do not have to be the same as those used to filter the data and are case insensitive. Separate the variable names with commas. The Scorecard API requires that most of the variables be prepended with their category. sc_select() uses a hash table to do this automatically for you so you do not have to know or include those (and in fact should not). This command is the only one of the subsetting commands that is required to pull data.
sc_filter()Use sc_filter() to filter the rows you want in your final dataframe. Its main job is to convert idiomatic R code into the format required by the Scorecard API. Like sc_select(), sc_filter prepends variable categories automatically and variables are case insensitive. Like with dplyr::filter(), separate each filtering expression with a comma.There are a few points to note owing to the idiosyncracies of the Scorecard API. First, there are the conversions between R and the Scorecard, shown in the table below.
| Scorecard | R | R example | Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
, |
c() |
sc_filter(stabbr == c('KY','TN')) |
school.state=KY,TN |
__not |
!= |
sc_filter(stabbr != 'KY') |
school.state__not=KY |
__range,.. |
#:# |
sc_filter(ccbasic==10:14) |
school.carnegie_basic__range=1..14 |
spaces (%20) |
‘’ | sc_filter(instnm == 'New York') |
school.name=New%20York |
A few notes:
c(1,2,5:10)), it does not appear that Scorecard API can. You will either have to overselect and then filter the downloaded dataframe or list every value discretely.> or < symbols. This means that if you want to select a range of values above a certain threshold (e.g., enrollments above 10,000 students), you may have to give a range of from 10001 to an artifically large number. Same thing but reversed for values under a certain threshold.1:10 will convert to __range=1..10 and include both 1 and 10.sc_year()All Scorecard variables except those in the root and school categories take a year option. Simply set the data year you want.
Two important points:
sc_zip()Use sc_zip() to subset the sample to those institutions within a certain distance around a given zip code. Only one zip code may be given. The default is distance is 25 miles, but both the distance and metric (miles or kilometers) can be changed.
Once you’ve gotten your API key from https://api.data.gov/signup, you can store it usig sc_key(). In the absence of a key value argument, sc_get() will search your R environment for DATAGOV_API_KEY. It will complete the data request if found. sc_key() command will store your key in DATAGOV_API_KEY, which will persist until the R session is closed.
# NB: You must use a real key, of course...
sc_key('xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx')If you want a more permanent solution, you can add the following line (with your actual key, of course) to your .Renviron file. See this appendix for more information.
# NB: You must use a real key, of course...
DATAGOV_API_KEY=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx## public schools within 50 miles of midtown Nashville, TN
df <- sc_init() %>%
sc_filter(control == 1) %>%
sc_select(unitid, instnm, stabbr) %>%
sc_year(2013) %>%
sc_zip(37203, 50) %>%
sc_get()
#> Request complete!
df
#> # A tibble: 10 × 4
#> unitid instnm stabbr
#> * <int> <chr> <chr>
#> 1 248925 Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville TN
#> 2 220978 Middle Tennessee State University TN
#> 3 219994 Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Dickson TN
#> 4 221184 Nashville State Community College TN
#> 5 221102 Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro TN
#> 6 220279 Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Hartsville TN
#> 7 219602 Austin Peay State University TN
#> 8 222053 Volunteer State Community College TN
#> 9 221838 Tennessee State University TN
#> 10 219888 Columbia State Community College TN
#> # ... with 1 more variables: year <dbl>## median earnings for students who first enrolled in a public
## college in the New England or Mid-Atlantic regions: 10 years later
df <- sc_init() %>%
sc_filter(control == 1, region == 1:2, ccbasic == 1:24) %>%
sc_select(unitid, instnm, md_earn_wne_p10) %>%
sc_year(2009) %>%
sc_get()
#> Large request will require: 3 additional pulls.
#> Request chunk 1
#> Request chunk 2
#> Request chunk 3
#> Request complete!
df
#> # A tibble: 282 × 4
#> unitid instnm
#> <int> <chr>
#> 1 129756 Middlesex Community College
#> 2 130943 University of Delaware
#> 3 196200 SUNY College at Potsdam
#> 4 212115 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
#> 5 213783 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
#> 6 214591 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College
#> 7 214731 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine
#> 8 215284 University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown
#> 9 215309 University of Pittsburgh-Titusville
#> 10 214786 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny
#> # ... with 272 more rows, and 2 more variables: md_earn_wne_p10 <int>,
#> # year <dbl>