WordPress Database Creation and Display

I have a two part problem:

PART 1:

I would like to program a user friendly database into Word Press that would grab a variable, custom field or tag of some sort from a page and display a list of information from a database.

Basically the page will be about a specific degree. On that page at the bottom should be a list of schools that have that degree (or similar degrees). The list of schools will come from a database. The information for the correct list of schools and degrees should be generated from the actual page via some element attached to the page (variable, custom field, etc.).

If this is very difficult it can just be a link at the bottom of the page that will lead to a list on another page. In this case a link may say, for example, Certificates, Associates or Bachelors degrees which would have a variable attached to it (https://www.mysite.com/list.html?variable1=a&variable2=b). This link would always go to the same page that would take the variable and display the corresponding list. The list must always come from a database.

I was thinking of making the page with the list an actual WordPress template with mysql that will query the Db depending on the variable that comes with the link.

Ideas?

PART 2:

I need a WordPress plugin that will allow me to set up a table in the WP database to hold the info from the list. This would ideally have a user friendly interface where an average user could enter an make changes to each school and the degrees they offer.

Any ideas? Would something like Pods work?

Thanks in advance!

Matt