Higher Education

New perspectives on the path to and through college

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.

How Covid-19 Could Doom the SAT and ACT

The pandemic’s impact on college-admissions testing

Bringing College Courses to Disadvantaged High Schools

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

The Mobility Maze: Gateways and Gatekeepers in Higher Education

College admissions and higher education’s impact on social mobility

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

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

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