Courtney Brown
Vice President of Impact and Planning
Courtney Brown, Ph.D, is vice president of impact and planning for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. As the chief data and research officer, Brown oversees the foundation’s efforts in the areas of strategic planning, learning, impact, and effectiveness. She also leads Lumina’s international engagement.
More about Courtney1 of 46
The cost vs. value paradox: what Americans really think about college
March 19, 2025
For years, the debate about higher education has centered on one question: Is college still worth it?
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Do students and society still value higher ed?
March 13, 2025
Public confidence in higher education is slipping. You’ve probably heard it—maybe even felt it. But here’s the thing: While skepticism is rising, most Americans still believe in the power of a college degree. They see it as a ticket to career success, financial stability, and a better future f
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Reflecting on 15 years: We are a Stronger Nation
Jan. 30, 2025
Today, nearly 55 percent of working-age adults in the United States hold a degree or credential beyond high school—a milestone highlighted in the most recent 2023 data from A Stronger Nation, Lumina Foundation’s annual “report card” tracking educational progress.
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We can’t ignore a crisis of confidence in American higher education
Oct. 4, 2024
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: American higher education is failing millions of people, and the cracks grow deeper by the day.
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Crisis of confidence in U.S. higher education: A call for renewed focus and reform
July 8, 2024
This country is in a crisis of confidence in our higher education system.
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41.9 million college journeys abandoned contribute to a national crisis
June 20, 2024
We’re facing a stark educational crisis: 41.9 million people in this country have attempted to earn a college degree or credential but left without one. This represents not only a colossal loss of potential for the individuals
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Despite the sticker shock, students see the value in a college degree to career success. So, what happens when they can’t afford it?
May 7, 2024
A conversation with Courtney Brown, VP of strategic impact and planning, Lumina Foundation and Stephanie Marken, senior partner, Gallup
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Higher Learning, Don’t Disturb This Groove
May 3, 2024
Courtney joins Jules Douge on WHCR 90.3 FM—the voice of Harlem.
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Sticker shock: Americans say college costs are too high—and unclear
April 19, 2024
A new national survey shows college is too expensive for most Americans, forcing 38 percent of undergraduates to plunge deep into debt. Most borrowers then struggle for years to repay their loans, delaying major life decisions such as starting a family, buying a home—or returning to school.
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New Reality: Students weigh gun control, abortion laws when choosing colleges
March 14, 2024
In the fall of 2022, gun violence shattered the tranquility of my son's college experience at the University of Virginia. In an urgent call, he said, "Mom, there's an active shooter on campus. I think some people have died not too far from here. No one knows where the shooter is, so we’re all lock
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Lumina Foundation history and goals for the nation with Courtney Brown, Excerpts from the podcast
March 7, 2024
Lumina's Courtney Brown talks about how Lumina Foundation was founded and its work toward increasing high-quality credentials in the U.S. She discusses Credit When It's Due, the DQP, and other Lumina initiatives with Alex Usher on the World of Higher Education podcast.
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College degrees grow. See for yourself in our user-friendly tool.
Feb. 5, 2024
Welcome to the era of data-driven transformation, where fresh insights pave the way to a brighter future. We recently unveiled new data in Lumina Foundation's Stronger Nation tool, an interactive map guiding us toward our national goal of helping 60 percent of Americans earn college degrees or other
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One-quarter of Hispanic students face discrimination, leading many to consider leaving college
Sept. 27, 2023
More Hispanic students are seeking educational opportunities after high school, with a notable upswing over the past decade in the percentage of Hispanics earning degrees. But the pandemic brought unfortunate setbacks to Hispanic enrollment, and a new study also reveals other alarming hurdles many H
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Education beyond high school improves people’s lives in 50 ways
Aug. 30, 2023
Our latest national poll on the value of higher education doesn’t beat around the bush. At a time when many Americans wonder if a college degree is worth it, the poll bluntly asks: What is education really for? Overwhelmingly, people responded that their education has helped lead to greater well-b
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Ending enrollment plunge is key to state’s future
June 16, 2023
Summer in Indiana—blooming flowers, filled racetracks and high school graduates excited about college. But while flowers and racing are perennial, Hoosier grads now question college.
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How do we bounce back from the enrollment plunge? Four colleges show the way.
May 24, 2023
A new National Student Clearinghouse report says 40.4 million Americans have some college but no degree, up from 39 million a year ago.
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More progress urgently needed as colleges work to reduce student stress
April 3, 2023
The University of Iowa is turning its student union hotel into a mental health center. North Carolina’s state colleges are expanding mental health and crisis services with about $8 million from Gov. Ray Cooper. Florida State University created a new course to train faculty and staff to spot
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Black learners aren’t enrolling or staying in college. A new poll shows why.
Feb. 10, 2023
New numbers for Black Americans eager to improve their lives with college degrees are alarming: Only 34 percent hold degrees, and half “stop out” of or left four-year colleges within six years. Worse yet, their college enrollment numbers are steeply declining, down another 30,000 this past fall.
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Why counting degrees matters
Feb. 3, 2023
The new data are clear: More Americans are learning and training beyond high school to pave powerful paths to well-paid jobs. But progress amid challenges is slow, leaving too many adults without college degrees or other credentials to struggle in their careers and lives.
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A conversation with Courtney Brown, VP, strategic impact and planning, Lumina Foundation
Jan. 31, 2023
Lumina Foundation has long advocated for the goal of 60% of Americans earning college degrees or other high-quality credentials beyond high school by 2025. In this episode of Work in Progress, Courtney Brown, vice president of strategic impact and planning for Lumina Foundation, joins me with an
