Current Higher-Education Research and Related Topics
Study Examines Possible Solutions to Declining Public Trust in Higher Education
This study (login required) analyzed over 13,000 online mentions of the value of higher education between June and December 2023. Research
highlights a significant perception gap regarding the value of higher education, suggesting a complex public view that balances potential benefits against concerns about return on investment (ROI). Key findings include the following.
There is widespread skepticism about the worth of college degrees.
About 33% of the online mentions recognized potential benefits, such as career opportunities and networking.
Nearly 50% of the discourse offered cautionary advice to prospective learners, emphasizing the need for clear goals and planning their college experience to achieve their goals.
Costs and Barriers to College Transfer is the Focus of a New White Paper
This white paper from the Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice (CHEPP) examines
the challenges and potential benefits of credit transfer and credit for prior learning (CPL) in higher education. The authors contend the current system presents numerous learner barriers, even though these processes offer significant opportunities
to reduce costs and improve access to college degrees. Many community-college learners intend to transfer to 4-year institutions. A majority of them need help to avoid losing credits and incurring increased expenses.
The study identifies several critical barriers in the credit-transfer system, including insufficient information, cumbersome processes and institutional policies that may prioritize short-term financial gains over learner success. These challenges
can lead to inefficient pathways, costly credit evaluations and rejection of previously earned credits. Transfer learners often incur additional enrollment costs, face personal challenges and incur opportunity costs related to delayed graduation
or noncompletion. Case studies of institutions with transfer-friendly practices that emphasize culture, dedicated resources, flexibility and partnerships are included. Key findings include the following.
Transfer learners lose about 43% of previously earned credits, equivalent to about one semester's worth of education.
Additional enrollment costs to transfer learners can range from $13,000 to over $26,000, depending on the type of institution (public vs. private).
Learners who have over 90% of their credits accepted are 2.5 times more likely to graduate than those with less than half of their credits accepted.
Recommendations include improving information accessibility, streamlining credit-evaluation processes and aligning institutional policies with learner needs.
New Study Investigates the Impact of an Early College Program on Mexican-American Learners
A new qualitative study from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute of Leadership, Equity, and Justice examines the impact of an early college program on Mexican-American first-generation college learners. It focuses on how
these programs reframe the meaning of higher education and how this reframing, along with validation of a learner’s ethnic scholarly identity, influences academic persistence.
Research highlights the importance of early college opportunities and family engagement in fostering educational aspirations. Findings reveal participants develop a holistic view of college attainment, connecting it to familial, ancestral and community
values, which are strong motivators for overcoming challenges and pursuing academic goals. The study concludes with recommendations for institutions to promote success for learners in higher education. Also see the discussion of Parental-Engagement Effects on First-Year Learner Success,
later in the blog.
Survey Report Examines Americans’ Views on the Value of a College Degree
A report from the Pew Research Center discusses the evolving perceptions and economic realities surrounding 4-year college degrees
in the United States. The gap between college graduates and nongraduates persists despite improved economic outcomes, such as increased earnings and overall wealth, for those with a bachelor’s degree.
A Pew Research Center survey reveals complex public sentiments regarding the value and necessity of a college education in today's economy. Many Americans express doubts about its cost effectiveness and importance for securing well-paying jobs. Figure
1. Key points from the survey include the following:
25% of U.S. adults consider a 4-year college degree extremely/very important for obtaining a well-paying job
49% believe a college degree is less important for securing a well-paying job now than it was 20 years ago
22% believe the cost of a 4-year degree is worthwhile, even if it requires taking out loans
58% of college graduates are more likely than nongraduates (26%) to view their education as extremely/very useful for acquiring skills needed for well-paying jobs
Figure 1: Americans' beliefs about the importance of a college degree
Report Details the Return On Investment for 53,000 Degree and Certificate Programs
A report from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity offers a comprehensive analysis of
the return on investment for various higher-education programs in the United States. The report addresses the growing skepticism among young Americans regarding the financial value of a college education. The study examines 53,000 degree and certificate
programs, ranging from trade to professional schools. It defines ROI as the expected increase in lifetime earnings minus associated costs. The report introduces a "mobility index" to quantify the aggregate financial impact of programs, considering
both ROI and enrollment numbers.
Findings reveal that while college education is generally worthwhile, significant variations exist across different fields of study and degree levels. Key points from the report include the following.
Engineering, computer science, nursing and economics bachelor’s degrees tend to offer higher ROIs, often exceeding $500,000.
Some undergraduate certificates in technical trades outperform the median bachelor's degree in terms of ROI.
Graduate programs show mixed results, with professional degrees often yielding high returns, while nearly half of master's degree programs offer no ROI.
About 30% of federal Pell Grant and student-loan funds over the past 5 years were allocated to programs with negative ROI, suggesting a need for policy reform.
Parental-Engagement Effects on First-Year Learner Success Examined
A new study from Campus ESP examines the impact of parental engagement on learner retention across nine universities. The study focuses on 12,374 first-time, first-year learners who enrolled in Fall 2022 and returned in Fall 2023. The
research defines parental engagement as the reception of regular alerts from CampusESP by parents about learner records. The study finds a positive correlation between parental engagement and learner retention, with varying degrees of impact across
different demographic groups and institutions. Figure 2. Key findings of the study include the following.
Learners with engaged parents experienced retention rates of 1.1% to 21.4% higher than average, with an overall average increase of 8.3%.
Black and Hispanic learners showed the highest retention gains from parental engagement, potentially due to higher levels of family involvement in their college experience.
First-generation and Pell Grant-eligible learners demonstrated above-average retention, ranging from 3.3% to 6.7%, when parents were engaged.
The positive impact of parental engagement on retention was observed across both public and private institutions of varying sizes.
Parental engagement required creating a CampusESP Parent Portal account, initiating an electronic FERPA waiver, and authorizing learner FERPA permissions.
Figure 2: Student retention gains
Source: “Student retention increases 8.3% with parent engagement — CampusESP,” CampusESP, April 9, 2024, https://www.campusesp.com/blog/student-retention-increases-with-parent-engagement-2024?utm_campaign=Higher%20Ed%20Dive%20Content&utm_source=Content&utm_medium=Retention&utm_content=Case%20Study.
Report from Higher-Education Leaders on Learner-Success Best Practices
The report (login required) from TouchNet and Higher Ed Dive discusses the significance of daily experiences in higher-education institutions and
their impact on learner retention. The report is based on a survey of 150 higher-education leaders in the United States and Canada. It emphasizes that minor interactions, such as campus dining, financial transactions and the quality of the library,
collectively shape learners' perceptions and ultimately influence their decisions to continue or discontinue enrollment. Some experiences can be accessed through mobile devices. Figure 3.
The survey aimed to identify which experiential factors leaders prioritize or consider effective in retaining learners. The ultimate objective was to uncover opportunities to enhance engagement and mitigate factors that commonly precede
learner attrition.
Figure 3: Enhancing experiences that support learner success
Source: “Industry Report: Higher Ed Leaders Share Experiences and Practices Impacting Student Retention, Free Higher Ed Dive’s studioID and TouchNet Survey Report,” n.d., https://highereddive.tradepub.com/free/w_defa6670/.
The Influence of Student Loan Debt on the Upcoming Presidential Election
Based on their recent survey, an article from the financial institution Bankrate discusses the significant impact of student loan debt on American voters' perspectives and voting intentions for the 2024 presidential election. Despite only 17% of adults
holding federal student debt, a portion of the population views this issue as a national crisis and believes the government has not provided adequate financial assistance to borrowers. Key points include:
18% of adults consider student-loan debt will influence voting decisions significantly
29% of adults view student-loan debt as a national crisis
among individuals with student debt, 46% perceive the issue as a national crisis; 29% indicate it will impact their voting decision
concerns suggest a broader societal awareness of college-affordability issues is needed
New Report on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education
The report (login required) is based on a survey conducted by UPCEA and EducationDynamics. It discusses the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on various industries, including higher education. It emphasizes AI is no
longer merely a trend but a crucial factor in reshaping educational landscapes. The piece highlights the importance of AI integration for universities and colleges to remain competitive and meet the expectations of a technologically savvy
generation of learners.
The report also reveals a surprisingly slow adoption rate of AI by higher-education institutions and is attributed to various factors, such as lack of understanding, resistance to change, budget constraints and inadequate staff readiness.
Institutions failing to integrate AI-powered tools are missing significant opportunities to enhance their marketing and enrollment-management efforts, potentially leading to suboptimal outcomes in various aspects of their operations and learner
engagement. Key areas where AI can be used to support institutions of higher education include:
higher enrollment rates through personalized marketing and targeted lead generation
increased learner satisfaction through faster, more personalized support
increased institutional efficiency due to allowing staff to focus on high-impact activities
data analysis to identify trends and predict student behavior
Administrators, Instructors and Learners Divided on Digital Learning and the use of AI
A report (login required) from Tyton Partners presents findings from the "2024 Time for Class" study, which examines using digital learning tools in
higher education across various learning environments. Based on data collected from over 3,000 administrators, instructors and learners, the study assesses preferences and provides insights to enhance access to digital learning. The research
reveals a significant gap between learners and educators in adopting generative AI tools while noting increased academic workloads in the areas of content development and checking the integrity of work result from the use of AI tools. Key
points include:
52% of administrators prioritize improving access and flexibility for learners through digital learning; most administrators and instructors report low success rates for those learners
50% of learner respondents experience stress due to unstable internet and lack of access to necessary software and devices
59% of learners regularly use generative AI tools, compared to 40% of instructors and administrators
45% of learners and 28% of instructors report increased academic workloads due to the use of generative AI tools.
Report Tracks the Impact of the Supreme Court Decision on Race-Conscious Admissions
In June, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against the use of race-conscious admissions practices. This report from Common App analyzes trends in college applications across racial and ethnic groups for the 2023-24 academic year. The study examines application volumes, patterns in applications to highly selective institutions and the content of personal
essays. The report indicates application trends have remained broadly consistent with previous years, showing no significant deviations in racial and ethnic representation nor application behaviors.
The analysis covers various aspects of the application process, including the number of applications submitted, the selectivity of targeted institutions and the composition of applicant pools for Common App member institutions. Key points include
the following.
Application volumes by race/ethnicity generally followed historical trends; only minor fluctuations were observed.
No significant changes were observed in how learners self-identify their racial/ethnic identity on the Common App platform.
Application behaviors across racial/ethnic groups remained consistent with historical patterns regarding number of applications, targeting of selective institutions and average admission rates of targeted schools.
The diversity of applicant pools for Common App member institutions showed no significant deviations from pre-existing trends.
The frequency of learners discussing their racial/ethnic identity in personal essays remained essentially unchanged.
Report Examines the Population of “Stopped-Out” Learners
A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, supported by the Lumina Foundation, discusses recent trends in the “Some
College, No Credential” (SCNC) population and their re-engagement with higher education. As of July 2022, the SCNC population under age 65 had increased by nearly 3% from the previous year, reaching 36.8 million individuals. Despite
a decrease in new stop outs, the overall SCNC population continued to grow due to lower re-enrollment and lower credential-attainment rates.
The study reports mixed outcomes for SCNC learners. While the re-enrollment rate saw a slight increase to 2.6% in the 2022-23 academic year, the rate of first-year credential earning experienced a minor decline. Perseverance and 2-year credential-earning
rates for the 2021-22 re-enrollee cohort remained stable, compared to the previous year. Key points include the following.
The composition of the SCNC population differs from the overall undergraduate population, with a higher proportion of male and non-White learners.
Recent stop outs tend to be younger than the general SCNC population.
There were more female stop outs.
Re-enrollment of SCNC learners increased by 9.1% in the 2022-23 academic year, with primarily online institutions gaining popularity among those switching schools.
Learners classified as potential completers, who re-enroll, achieve credentials at nearly double the rate of other SCNC learners and are more likely to earn associate or bachelor's degrees within 2 years.
CUPA-HR Report on Pay Equity in Higher Education
This report examines the crucial role of higher-education professionals in
maintaining essential university functions. It also addresses the lack of comprehensive data on their demographics and pay equity. The study uses annual data from 2016-2024 from the CUPA-HR Professionals in Higher Education Survey to analyze
representation and pay-equity trends among professional women and people of color in higher-education institutions. Research aims to provide valuable insights for human-resources professionals and leaders seeking to benchmark and improve representation
and pay equity within their institutions. Key findings and observations include:
women's representation in the higher-education professional workforce increased from 58% in 2016-17 to 62% in 2023-24
representation of people of color rose from 22% to 26% during the same period
women of color experienced a more significant increase in representation (26%) compared to men of color (10%)
representation varies across professional areas, with human resources and diversity roles having higher representation by people of color compared to other areas, such as library science and fundraising
persistent pay-equity biases affect women of color
recruiting men of color in higher education is challenging
institutions should conduct comprehensive pay-equity analyses, implement strategies to recruit more people of color and enhance retention efforts for women and people of color