Data at Work

In Data at Work, we highlight new developments in postsecondary data and present news and analyses on data issues.

 

Feb 23, 2022

Three Metrics I Didn’t Have During My College Search, But I’m Glad Students Now Do

The college search process is a pivotal point in a student’s college journey, and often an unnecessarily challenging one. Across the country, data on higher education outcomes is limited. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard is designed to facilitate the type of comparisons I craved in my college search 8 years ago. The latest refresh includes the reinstatement and addition of several metrics, many of which were recommended by the Postsecondary Data Collaborative, that offer critical insights on the strength of students’ career outcomes.  

Jan 7, 2022

Targeting the Technical : Prioritizing Analysis of Student Transcripts in Degree Reclamation Efforts to Improve Student Completion Outcomes

No one starts on the path to a degree intending not to finish. But between taking one’s first college class and earning a degree, life can change course, and it often does.

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Dec 20, 2021

Mapping Transfer Pathways: How Data and Equitable Admissions Policies can Support Transfer Student Success

While transfer pathways can offer students an affordable and accessible route to earning a four-year degree, they too often fall short of delivering on this promise. Currently, our data systems lack complete information regarding student pathways, especially those taken by transfer students. Increasing access to robust data is critical to supporting successful transfers and empowers students, families, and higher education leaders to make informed postsecondary decisions.

Mar 5, 2021

How Making “Evidence-Based Decisions Guided by the Best Available Science and Data" Can Advance Racial Equity in Higher Education

It is crucial now amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis to dismantle inequities and provide students of color true opportunities for economic mobility. That requires identifying racist policies and practices, and to do that, we need better data. A directive last month by the Biden administration recognizes the vital role of data and has the potential to move our postsecondary education system forward to make equity a reality—if it is properly implemented.

Oct 15, 2020

Without Better Postsecondary Data, We’re Leaving Stakeholders in the Dark

When exploring new territory, it’s wise to have a flashlight to illuminate areas that aren’t easily visible. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has upended nearly every aspect of our nation’s well-being and profoundly disrupted the higher education experiences of nearly 20 million students, put higher education in uncharted territory. Unfortunately, policymakers, institution leaders, and students and families are currently navigating without a flashlight.

Sep 25, 2020

Institutions Can Help Close Widening Completion Gaps with the Postsecondary Data GPS

Postsecondary education is supposed to be the great equalizer because it fosters upward mobility and economic sustainability. But it is only an equalizer for those who complete, and the path to completion is far from egalitarian.In particular, bachelor’s degree completers are disproportionately from higher-income households, and unfortunately, this pattern has worsened in recent years.

May 31, 2019

Data-Informed College Decisions: Students Deserve Clear, Consistent, and Complete Financial Aid Offers

Financial aid offers, provided to students after they are admitted to a school, help students determine the costs of attending, along with the gift aid, work-study and student loans available to cover those costs. Yet a high degree of variation exists in financial aid offer letters sent from different colleges, and many are not clearly conveying critical information to their prospective students. 

Mar 15, 2019

New Legislation Would Provide Students Key Information About College Outcomes

This week, the College Transparency Act (CTA) was re-introduced in the House and Senate by a bipartisan group of legislators. By allowing the creation of a secure, privacy-protected postsecondary data system, this bipartisan, bicameral bill would help students and families, policymakers, institutions and employers to make informed choices by providing better information about college access, success, costs, and outcomes.

Dec 20, 2018

ED Debit Card Still Maxing Out Privacy Concerns

In October, the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) released a notice inviting applications from banking providers interested in participating in the Payment Vehicle Account Pilot Program after an earlier solicitation in January 2018. The new notice improves upon the previous proposal by describing clearer data privacy and security requirements for students who choose to use the services, but it does not detail key protocols that are needed to protect students.

Dec 19, 2018

Announcement: Application Open for IHEP – AIR Interactive Policy Summit

The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) and Association for Institutional Research (AIR) are hosting an interactive policy summit for institutions of higher education that are using data to promote student success and affect policy change. The summit will be held at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center Hotel in Minneapolis, MN on August 1-2, 2019. We invite institutional teams of four individuals to apply for a spot at this event. 

Jun 15, 2018

NPSAS:16 Data Suggests How Today’s Students are Affording College

Data from the newest National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) include new details on topics such as financial literacy, alternative repayment options, student veteran and military characteristics, and study abroad participation. These data build on existing data elements, like information on financial aid and enrollment, to help answer questions about college affordability, student characteristics, and socioeconomic gaps.

Mar 23, 2016

Letter to the Technological Community on College Scorecard Data

Last fall, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released an Application Programming Interface (API) that makes publicly accessible all of the data used to build the College Scorecard. A variety of journalists and researchers have already started building new tools using these data.

Jul 23, 2015

Employer Collaboration on Data is Key to Job Growth

As a champion of the free enterprise system, we at the U.S. Chamber firmly believe that competition drives innovation. Society benefits most when businesses can compete with one another to provide the highest quality product or service to their customers.