Higher Education
Obtaining a college degree has never been more important for America’s young people. Now more than ever, higher education is the ticket to social and economic mobility. The opportunities of a rapidly globalizing 21st century require more education, not less.
And while the higher education community has done a remarkable job of opening the doors of college to more and more students, we have not seen equal strides in the number of students who actually complete four-year degrees.
Too few first-time degree-seeking college freshmen, most of them full-time students, graduate from a four-year university in six years time. The numbers are worse for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education.
This page provides information on improving student outcomes in higher education, particularly for minority and low-income students.
One Step from the Finish Line: Higher College-Graduation Rates are Within Our Reach
Explains College Results Online, guides readers on how to use it, and highlights the strategies of some successful colleges and universities.
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Choosing to Improve: Voices from Colleges and Universities with Better Graduation Rates
Offers a more detailed examination of the practices of successful schools, and outlines a growing body of research that tells us that what schools do matters a great deal—from their efforts to keep new students engaged, to their use of data to uncover obstacles to completion.
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A Matter of Degrees: Improving Graduation Rates in Four-Year Colleges and Universities
A new analysis reveals deep problems in the graduation rates at four-year colleges and universities, but finds that some institutions do a much better job than others of graduating students.
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press release
Testimony