The State of American Higher Education Outcomes in 2023

Is the US higher education system providing a baseline level of quality for college students? To answer that question, Third Way has been regularly examining institutional outcomes in three key areas: completion, post-enrollment earnings, and student loan repayment. These metrics are informative in their own right, and they are also closely intertwined. Leaving college with Read more about The State of American Higher Education Outcomes in 2023[…]

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The 101 on Evidence-Based College Completion Programs

Colleges and universities fail to graduate just under half of all students who enter their programs. This is often due to external factors and barriers that affect students’ ability to focus on learning—like being a student parent or provider for their family, encountering mental health difficulties, or the rising cost of attendance. However, evidence-based college Read more about The 101 on Evidence-Based College Completion Programs[…]

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Big Data on Campus

Recently, EducationNext released research on the predictive analytics that colleges and universities are using to identify at-risk students who may benefit from additional support. Excerpts from the piece appear below: Colleges and universities are facing mounting pressure to raise completion rates and have embraced predictive analytics to identify which students are at risk of failing Read more about Big Data on Campus[…]

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Effective Advising for Postsecondary Students

At its most effective, advising is a collaborative process between a student and an advisor designed to help the student realize their educational potential. Most postsecondary institutions have historically used advisors to help students select and register for courses, but postsecondary institutions are increasingly asking advisors to play an instrumental role in helping students progress Read more about Effective Advising for Postsecondary Students[…]

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A Three-year Bachelor’s Degree

Writing for AEI, Michael Poliakoff makes a case for a three-year Bachelor’s degree. Excerpts from the piece appear below: College students, regardless of their majors or professional programs, need a rigorous liberal arts core curriculum. That curriculum must efficiently develop college-level skills and knowledge in the arts and sciences disciplines that are necessary for success Read more about A Three-year Bachelor’s Degree[…]

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Early College High Schools May Pay for Themselves in the Long Run

Some solutions in education are expensive. Take early college high schools, which give students a head start on their college degrees but cost about $3,800 extra per student. Are they worth it? New research suggests that these schools might actually pay for themselves in long-term benefits to both students and the public as a whole. Read more about Early College High Schools May Pay for Themselves in the Long Run[…]

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Early-College High School Students More Likely to Earn Postsecondary Degrees

Building on a previous randomized experiment of the impact of Early Colleges (ECs) (Berger et al., 2013), the American Institutes for Research (AIR) has released a new follow-up study that assesses the longer-term impacts of ECs on students’ postsecondary outcomes 6 years after expected high school graduation. Using data from the National Student Clearinghouse, researchers Read more about Early-College High School Students More Likely to Earn Postsecondary Degrees[…]

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Recommendations for Early College High School Programs

A working group that includes members from some of the country’s most influential education groups released new recommendations aimed at high school programs offering college credit. These programs, often dual-enrollment partnerships with local colleges, have grown in popularity, as have concerns about the rigor, costs and ultimate impact on college success.   The group, convened Read more about Recommendations for Early College High School Programs[…]

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Mentoring Program Posts 81% College Persistence Rate

Writing for The 74, Kate Stringer reviews a new randomized controlled trial that finds that one-on-one, in-person mentoring that starts in high school and continues through university study can have a significant effect on college persistence rates for low-income students. Excerpts from the article appear below: A college mentoring program aimed at getting low-income and Read more about Mentoring Program Posts 81% College Persistence Rate[…]

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New Postsecondary Data Includes Expanded Look at College Completion

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released new data that provide a more comprehensive look at the percentage of degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who are successfully completing postsecondary education. Unlike the previously reported graduation rates, the new Outcome Measures (OM) account for non-traditional students, such as those who attend part time or have transferred schools. Read more about New Postsecondary Data Includes Expanded Look at College Completion[…]

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AIR Examines Evidence on Early-College High Schools

The College & Career Readiness & Success Center at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) has released a new brief, Evidence-Based Practices to Support College and Career Readiness in High School: Early College High School. Early-college high schools are a partnership between secondary and postsecondary institutions and businesses that allow students to earn both a Read more about AIR Examines Evidence on Early-College High Schools[…]

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Charter School Students Graduating From College at Three to Five Times National Average

Writing for The 74, Richard Whitmire explores new data that show charter school students are graduating from college at three- to five-times the national average. Excerpts from his article appear below: About a decade ago, 15 years into the public charter school movement, a few of the nation’s top charter networks quietly upped the ante Read more about Charter School Students Graduating From College at Three to Five Times National Average[…]

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Educational Progress and Challenges by Race and Ethnicity

The number of students finishing high school has increased over time for students in all racial/ethnic groups. However, the rate of progress has varied and racial/ethnic gaps persist. The National Center for Education Statistics released a new report in July entitled Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups, 2017. This report Read more about Educational Progress and Challenges by Race and Ethnicity[…]

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New Report on the Condition of Education in the United States

The National Center for Education Statistics released The Condition of Education 2017 on May 25, a congressionally mandated report that summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. This year’s report provides new analyses on a wide range of issues, including homelessness in public schools and student persistence in postsecondary education. Read more about New Report on the Condition of Education in the United States[…]

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NCES releases Digest of Education Statistics

The latest edition of the Digest of Education Statistics is a compilation of a wide array of data about education, including new information about important issues in public education. The Digest, compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), is a comprehensive statistical reference for all levels of education, from prekindergarten through graduate school. Read more about NCES releases Digest of Education Statistics[…]

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The Good News in Education

In a sea of bad news, Dick Startz, writing for the Brown Center Chalkboard at Brookings, reflects on the good news in American education: Graduation rates are up Over the last fifteen years, high school graduation rates have risen. The vast majority of adults have a high school diploma. White, Black, and Hispanic graduation rates Read more about The Good News in Education[…]

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