Lumina’s leadership model of philanthropy centers the foundation around a time-limited, measurable goal. As Lumina introduces a new goal in 2025, our data and measurement work will help that goal take root by advancing a more integrated data ecosystem—one that better reflects tomorrow’s students and the credentials they pursue.
Our Priorities
Lumina’s data and measurement work focuses on three priorities:
Measuring the Value of Education for Individuals
Lumina has worked to better understand the economic value of postsecondary credentials. While economic prosperity is an important measure, it does not fully capture the broader benefits education can provide to individuals, families, communities, and society.
Our work will support the development of a more complete way to measure the value of education. Over time, Lumina aims to make this measure publicly available, updated annually, and able to show differences by key factors such as race and ethnicity, state, and age.
This work will help Lumina and its partners better understand which credentials provide value and for whom. It may also become part of A Stronger Nation, Lumina’s public data tool for tracking progress in post-high school attainment.
Increasing Access to Integrated Data
Today’s learners move across education, workforce, military, and other systems, but the data needed to understand their experiences often remains disconnected. To better support students pursuing credentials of value, the field needs data systems that can work together while protecting privacy and confidentiality.
Lumina will support efforts to increase access to integrated data across agencies, sectors, and data owners. This includes helping partners better understand existing opportunities to link data, strengthening communication between federal and state leaders, and supporting convenings that build shared knowledge and capacity.
Co-Constructing Data for Tomorrow’s Challenges
Data and measurement are most useful when they are built into the design of work from the beginning. Lumina will work with colleagues and partners to co-construct data and measurement products that inform strategy, guide implementation, and support learning as the foundation advances its new goal.
This approach builds on past efforts, including support for partners that provide data guidance and technical assistance to major Lumina investments. By working collaboratively, Lumina can ensure that data and measurement help answer the right questions, at the right time, for the people and systems the work is intended to serve.
