Our Work / Focus Area / Data & Transparency

Data & Transparency

Our system of higher education is data-rich but information-poor.

Data & Transparency

Timely, high-quality, complete, accessible, and disaggregated postsecondary data is critical to promoting student success and closing equity gaps in college access and success. Students and families need data to inform what is one of the largest investments of time and money that many will make in their lifetimes. Institutions and employers need data to drive institutional improvement and align college offerings with workforce needs. Policymakers at all levels need data to promote evidence-based decision-making.

We promote smart use of data by identifying trends in higher education data collection and reporting at the federal, state, and institutional levels, supporting a culture of data-use on campuses through our research, trainings, and communities of practices, and calling for the modernization our postsecondary data infrastructure.

Watch to learn why we need better postsecondary data: