Shoppers often consider several options before deciding on a purchase: cost, quality, return policies. Should 'shopping' for the right college be any different?

But for parents and students mulling one of the biggest investments of their lives, a college education, comparison shopping is nearly impossible. The most popular college guides tell more about the test scores of incoming students than about how many came out four years later with a degree. While the federal government calculates graduation rates, nearly 50% of students are missing from the data.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings wants to change that. Last month, she proposed a privacy-protected database that would collect information on all students attending college. It would open the way to comparative data and greater accountability. But given the controversy the proposal has kicked up, Spellings will likely need a go-ahead from Congress to spend money on it.

What do you think? Is collecting this data going too far? Or do potential students, and their parents, have a right to all the facts before making one of the biggest and most important purchases of their lives?