Higher Education

New perspectives on the path to and through college

The Mobility Maze: Gateways and Gatekeepers in Higher Education

College admissions and higher education’s impact on social mobility

An Equity Agenda for Higher Education

Ted Mitchell is president of the American Council on Education, a Washington-based organization representing more than 1,700 higher education institutions.

Bringing College Courses to Disadvantaged High Schools

An innovative program teaching college coursework to Title I high school students

Incomplete: The Unfinished Revolution in College Remedial Education

Reforms around college remediation programs, or developmental education, have stalled, leaving many underserved students stuck. This report explains how to revive the “dev-ed” movement.

Is Free College Best for Helping Low-Income Students?

An alternative to free college tuition

In Defense of College Degrees and New Post-Secondary Pathways

An essay about the debate over attending college

Higher Education

By the Numbers

College Degree

  • 25%

    U.S. adults who say a four-year college degree is extremely or very important for a well-paying job in today’s economy

  • 40%

    U.S. adults who say a college degree is not too or not at all important

Source: Pew Research Center

Undocumented Immigrants

  • 1,908,000

    First-generation immigrant students in the U.S. higher education system

  • 408,000

    Undocumented students enrolled in higher education

Source: Higher Ed Immigration Portal

College Dropout Rates

  • 32.9%

    Undergraduates who do not complete their degree program

  • 35%

    Less income earned among dropouts compared to bachelor’s degree holders

Source: Education Data Initiative

Higher Education

  • $30,000

    Average total income among U.S. adults with no postsecondary education

  • $75,000

    Average total income among U.S. adults with a bachelor's degree

Source: Gallup

Legacy Advantage

  • 37%

    Acceptance rate at selected elite colleges for legacy students

  • 9.5%

    Acceptance rate at the same schools for non-legacy students

Source: The New York Times

Rebounding FAFSA Completions

  • 4.6%

    Increase in FAFSA completions among the class of 2022

  • 9.1%

    Among students from low-income schools

Source: National College Attainment Network

College Tuition Increases

  • 1.6%

    Increase in tuition in 2021-22 for in-state students at public, 4-year institutions

  • 2.1%

    Increase for students at private, nonprofit 4-year institutions

Source: The College Board

Educational Attainment, 2010-2021

  • 32%

    25-29 year olds with at least a bachelors degree in 2010

  • 39%

    25-29 year olds with at least a bachelors degree in 2021

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

College Completion Rates, 2022

  • 78%

    College completion rate at private, nonprofit four-year institutions, 2022

  • 68%

    At public, four-year institutions

Source: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC)

Higher Education

All Work

Does Dual Enrollment Help More Students Complete College?

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FutureU Podcast Ep. 174: AI Goes to College: In the Classroom and Beyond

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FutureU Podcast Ep. 173: Searching for Fit: The Impacts of AI in Higher Ed

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FutureU Podcast Ep. 172: So Long, Summer: We’re Back

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Remedial Education is One Step on the Path to College Completion

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WEBINAR: A Report Card on the College Remedial-Ed Reform Movement

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Getting College Remediation Reform to the Finish Line

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FutureU Podcast Ep. 164: Season 7 Wrap Up

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FutureU Podcast Ep. 163: The Competency-Based Approach to Validating Learning in Higher Ed

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FutureU Podcast Ep. 162: On the Board: The Role of Trustees in Higher Ed

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Incomplete: The Unfinished Revolution in College Remedial Education

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FutureU Podcast Ep. 161: When College is About the Job

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