Hildreth Institute’s Post

📌 JUST RELEASED: Do Americans still value a #college degree? How have attitudes changed in the last 8️⃣ years? How do views compare among (D)s and (R)s? Our latest edition of the #VaryingDegrees report—and UPDATED interactive #DataTool—provide these insights and more. The annual and nationally-representative survey includes answers to new questions this year about college affordability and how #education after high school should be funded. Per research and analysis conducted by our #HigherEd experts, Sophie Nguyen, Rachel Fishman, and Olivia Cheche, most Americans: 💸 … agree that cost is the biggest barrier to enrollment for most. 📢 … would like to see the candidates address college affordability. 👀 … want greater transparency on key indicators of education quality. To go beyond our top-line data findings and explore trends in perceptions of postsecondary value, read the full report that presents all eight years of #DataCollection below. 🎓🔗🎓 https://lnkd.in/gXBbpDmV And join our policy team next week to get the (scoop) yourself when we officially launch these new data findings with a summer ice cream party! 📍 New America's DC Offices 📆 Wed, 8/07 🕒 3pm, ET 🍦 https://lnkd.in/gEcAKgp9

A new report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy of Higher Education Policy titled “Breaking the Cycle of Racial Wealth Inequities and Higher Education Outcomes,” highlights that “wealth has a profound impact on every stage of the college experience.” It also provides actionable recommendations for policymakers and leaders to create a more equitable #HigherEducation system. Explore the full report: https://lnkd.in/dJRCQ3qY 

Is College Worth It? As economic outcomes for young adults with and without degrees have improved, Americans hold mixed views on the value of college. Check out the Pew Research Center's most recent publication on public perceptions of higher education. Full Report: https://lnkd.in/e-EYc5cg #highereducation #collegesanduniversities

How have American perceptions of higher education shifted in the last 8 years? How do these views compare/contrast across partisan lines? Today, our partners at New America released the latest addition of the #VaryingDegrees report, along with an updated interactive data tool to provide insights into these questions and more. Varying Degrees is one of the only nationally-representative and longitudinal surveys in the field about higher education value and economic mobility. Some topline findings from this round of research show most Americans: 💸 …agree that cost is the biggest barrier to enrollment for most individuals. 📢…would like to see candidates address the issue of college affordability in the coming election. 👀 …want greater transparency on key indicators of education quality. To go beyond the top-line data findings and explore trends in perceptions of postsecondary value, read the full report that presents all eight years of #DataCollection here:

The highest rates of undergraduate enrollment growth in the past couple of post-pandemic years have been in community colleges. However, community college students still face significant barriers--especially financial--getting to and through higher education. A recent report by New America identifies the affordability policies that institutions can implement to retain and re-enroll students. Dallas College has robust supports in place to address all of these top issues and continues to seek out new barrier-busting policies to support our students.

NEW REPORT: What challenges face a post-Covid generation of students, and how does this impact on their ability to adjust to independent living and university life? https://lnkd.in/ek6uEGQY Created in collaboration between the Higher Education Student Support Champion Professor Edward Peck and Unite Students, this report explores how universities, schools and policymakers can improve students’ transition from school to university. 🖥 Download the full report: https://lnkd.in/ek6uEGQY Jenny Shaw Jen Steadman #HigherEducation #StudentWellbeing #StudentAccommodation #UniteStudents

Freshman application numbers at most colleges in Western Pennsylvania have increased — and, in some cases, skyrocketed — since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Between 2018 and 2022, 11 of 13 regional colleges reported growth in the number of freshman applications they received. The University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University and Penn State saw the largest shares of new applicants. It’s a trend that schools across the nation are experiencing. In March, the Common Application, an undergraduate admissions application that can be submitted to over 1,000 colleges and universities, reported a 21% increase in applicants and a 30% boost in submitted applications between 2019 and 2022.

Recent research highlights the predictive power of standardized tests over high school grades for college success. Despite widespread opposition, data suggests that tests, when considered alongside other factors, can enhance diversity and transparency in admissions, particularly in the wake of post-affirmative action rulings. This nuanced perspective challenges prevailing views, urging scholarship providers and higher education professionals to reconsider the role of standardized testing in shaping equitable admissions practices. 

According to The New York Times, the COVID-19 pandemic set the stage for numerous changes to the standardized testing process. But why haven’t colleges and universities reverted these “temporary” policy changes, now that the worst of the pandemic is behind us? The continuation of Test-Optional Policies reflects a backlash against standardized admissions tests that began long before the pandemic, and many people have “hailed the change as a victory for equity in higher education”. However, research shows that test scores contain more real information than we have been led to believe, helping to predict grades, chances of college graduation, and post-college success. Read the full article here to learn more: https://loom.ly/bPpYMxw #SAT #ACT #SATTest #TestOptional

New research by Institute for Higher Education Policy sheds light on a critical factor in college access and success: wealth. The report, "Breaking the Cycle of Racial Wealth Inequities and Higher Education Outcomes," supported by The Joyce Foundation, reveals wealth disparities can have a far greater impact than income, particularly for Black and Latinx students. This wealth gap impacts every stage of the college journey, from college savings to enrollment, completion and borrowing. What can policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders do to address these inequities?  Read the full report below and share with your networks.  #highered #StudentSuccess #racialwealthgap #equity https://lnkd.in/dJRCQ3qY