One big thing
Beth Akers, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, emphasizes the critical importance of data in evaluating the return on investment (ROI) of higher education.
Why it matters
- College education is one of the biggest investments individuals and families make
- Data-driven decisions can help students avoid financially unsound educational choices
- Transparency puts pressure on institutions to deliver better outcomes for students
Go deeper
- The College Scorecard (scorecard.gov) provides data on graduation rates, earnings, and loan repayment for specific programs
- Proposed legislation like the College Transparency Act aims to enhance data collection and reporting on student outcomes
- Akers suggests that institutions should be held accountable based on whether graduates’ earnings justify the upfront costs of education
- There’s a push for policy changes to limit financial aid for institutions consistently delivering poor outcomes for students