Copyright & DMCA.

1. Ownership of site content

All original content on this site — editorial writing, guides, research, compiled data sets, the schools comparison data and methodology, photography and illustration commissioned or produced for the site, the wordmark and monogram, layout, design system, and source code — is the property of the publisher and is protected by United States and international copyright law.

Compilations and arrangements of factual information published here are protected as original compilations, even where individual underlying facts are not themselves copyrightable.

2. Limited license to readers

You may read the site, link to it, and print or save individual pages for personal, non-commercial reference. Short quotations for commentary, criticism, news reporting, or scholarship are welcome when accompanied by clear attribution and a link to the page quoted.

You may not copy, republish, syndicate, mirror, frame, sell, license, or commercially exploit substantial portions of the site; systematically scrape or extract its data; present its content as your own; or use it to train or ground a commercial machine-learning or generative-AI system, in each case without prior written permission.

3. Third-party marks and material

Third-party names, logos, trademarks, and service marks referenced on this site remain the property of their respective owners and are used nominatively for identification and editorial commentary. Their use does not imply affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement.

Where imagery or data originates with a third party, it is used under license, with permission, or as fair use for commentary. If you believe material has been used in error, use the procedure below.

4. Reporting claimed infringement (DMCA notice)

We respect the intellectual property of others and respond to valid notices under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 512. If you believe material on this site infringes a copyright you own or are authorized to represent, send a written notice through the private inquiry form containing:

• A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf.
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or a representative list if multiple works are covered.
• Identification of the material claimed to be infringing, with the exact page address so we can locate it.
• Contact information at which we can reach you, such as an email address.
• A statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
• A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf.

On receipt of a compliant notice we will expeditiously remove or disable access to the material and take reasonable steps to notify whoever supplied it. Notices that do not substantially comply with the statute may not receive a response.

Be aware that under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f) any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing may be liable for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees.

5. Counter-notification

If your material was removed and you believe the removal resulted from mistake or misidentification, you may send a counter-notification through the same channel. It must include your signature, identification of the removed material and where it appeared, a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief it was removed by mistake or misidentification, your contact information, and your consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the district where you reside (or the Western District of North Carolina if you are outside the United States) and to accept service from the complaining party.

We may restore the material in ten to fourteen business days unless the original complainant notifies us that it has filed an action seeking a court order.

6. Repeat infringers and permissions

It is our policy, in appropriate circumstances, to terminate access for anyone who is a repeat infringer.

Requests for permission to reuse content beyond the limited license above, including syndication, licensing of photography, or use of the compiled schools data set, may be sent through the private inquiry form with a description of the intended use.