About StepVista - Our Mission, Data & Editorial Standards
About StepVista
StepVista is the anonymous, data-driven guide to engineering and professional colleges in Karnataka. We help students and parents make informed decisions about college admissions - without collecting personal data, without bias, and without selling your information.
The Founder
StepVista is built and maintained by Shishira Rao H A - a former Physics faculty turned full-stack developer with hands-on experience in teaching, educational marketing, and college admissions.
Having spent years in the classroom and in the education industry, Shishira saw firsthand how students and parents struggled with fragmented, unreliable college information. Agents would push institutions that paid them commission. Data was buried in government PDFs. No one had a single, trustworthy source.
StepVista was built to fix that.
“I was tired of seeing students get misled by spam calls and biased agents. I built StepVista with my own money because I believe every student deserves honest, transparent college data - for free.”
- Shishira Rao H A
Connect: LinkedIn
Our Mission
Every year, over 2 lakh students in Karnataka navigate the complex world of KCET, COMEDK, and college admissions. Most turn to word-of-mouth, outdated brochures, or agents with vested interests. We believe students deserve transparent, processed, and accessible information - for free.
StepVista exists to:
- Democratize access to college data that was previously scattered across dozens of government and institutional websites
- Provide free tools (Rank Predictor, College Predictor, Comparison) that would otherwise cost money from consultants
- Never collect personal data - we don’t ask for your name, phone, or email. Your privacy is our founding principle
Why Trust Us?
- Used by 50,000+ Students Monthly: We have helped thousands of aspirants in Karnataka make confident decisions during the 2024-25 counseling cycle.
- Official Data Only: We don’t use estimations or “insider” tips. Every cutoff and fee listed is sourced directly from official KEA, NTA, or MCC bulletins.
- Mission Over Profit: StepVista is an independent platform. We do not charge students for access to any of our prediction tools, cutoff data, or placement insights. Our operation is supported through institutional disclosure partnerships and limited, relevant advertising.
Our Data Methodology {#data-methodology}
Every piece of data on StepVista goes through a structured validation process:
Primary Sources
| Data Type | Source |
|---|---|
| Cutoff ranks | KEA (Karnataka Examinations Authority) official allotment results |
| Accreditation | NAAC, NBA, and AICTE official databases |
| NIRF Rankings | Ministry of Education, Government of India |
| Fee structures | Official college websites and KEA fee notifications |
| Placement data | Publicly available placement reports and annual reports |
| Course listings | AICTE approval letters and VTU affiliation records |
Validation Process
- Initial Research: Data is gathered from official government and institutional sources
- Cross-Verification: Each data point is cross-checked against at least two independent sources
- Periodic Updates: All listings are reviewed and updated after each KCET/COMEDK counselling round
- Community Corrections: Students and alumni can submit corrections through the “Help Us Improve” feature on every page - these are manually reviewed before being applied
StepVista Disclosure Status (Placement Review)
When an institution is marked with the “Institutional Disclosure” badge, it has undergone a structured third-party placement review by StepVista Intelligence to ensure maximum transparency for parents and students. This status requires:
- Granular Data Submission: The institution provides detailed placement records, including company-wise offer letters and CTC breakdowns.
- Regulatory Cross-Referencing: We cross-verify institutional claims against mandatory AICTE Extension of Approval (EoA) reports and NIRF public disclosures.
- Data Integrity Lock: Processed data is assigned a unique Entry Reference ID and is protected from unauthorized changes.
- Physical/Digital Signage: Disclosure partners are authorized to display the “Institutional Disclosure” seal in their admission offices via our Live Admission Display system.
Data Limitations
We are transparent about what we don’t know:
- Placement data is based on publicly available reports. Colleges that don’t publish placement data are marked accordingly
- Cutoff ranks are from the most recent counselling round and may not reflect 2026 actuals
- Fee structures can change annually based on government notifications
Editorial Standards
- No sponsored content disguised as editorial. Sponsored and featured listings are clearly labeled
- No pay-for-ranking. College ordering in search results is based on data relevance, not payment
- Corrections welcome. If you find inaccurate data, use the suggestion form on any college page. We investigate and update within 48 hours
- Regular reviews. All 300+ listings are reviewed after each major counselling event
Our Tools
KCET Rank Predictor
Applies the official KEA 50:50 composite score formula (50% Board + 50% KCET) to estimate your rank. The rank ranges are mapped from KCET 2025 allotment data - no AI, just the actual formula and real historical data. Try it free →
College Predictor
A simple cutoff lookup tool - enter your KCET or COMEDK rank, and it shows which colleges and branches you’d have been eligible for based on KCET 2025 Round 2 cutoff data. No predictions or AI involved, just official allotment numbers. Try it free →
College Comparison
Compare up to 3 colleges side-by-side on fees, placements, accreditation, and more. All data sourced from official records. Compare now →
Contact
Found an error? Have a suggestion? Use the “Suggest a College” button in the header, or the “Help Us Improve” section on any college listing page.
StepVista is an independent platform. We are not affiliated with KEA, COMEDK, AICTE, or any educational institution.