Jamie Merisotis
President and CEO
Jamie Merisotis, an internationally recognized leader in higher education, human work, philanthropy, and public policy, has been Lumina Foundation’s president and CEO since 2008.
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Rethinking college: How more valuable degrees are closing America’s talent gap
July 29, 2025
Critics of higher education have a point: Average inflation-adjusted tuition has gone down, but remains too high. Degrees pay off, but too many grads struggle finding good jobs.
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Why college matters: for the love of learning—And democracy
June 17, 2025
In a time of tense scrutiny of higher education, it helps to be reminded why college matters.
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What will make college truly affordable?
May 13, 2025
Higher ed leaders and policymakers need to fundamentally rethink the system of who pays for college, and how.
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Degrees of impact: Redefining the value of higher ed
May 12, 2025
At the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit, Lumina Foundation President and CEO Jamie Merisotis gave a LightningX keynote on increasing the value of higher education.
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Higher education’s big test: Proving the value of college degrees
April 1, 2025
In response to falling public confidence, higher ed needs to deliver greater value and a clear return on investment.
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Weekly wisdom interview with Jamie Merisotis
March 27, 2025
Merisotis talks about Lumina’s new goal for a successful labor force, the value proposition of higher education, the importance of perceived equity, and the urgency for higher ed reform.
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A bold vision for a prosperous future
March 4, 2025
Seventeen years ago, Lumina Foundation set an ambitious goal: By 2025, 60 percent of working-age adults in the United States would have a degree, certificate, or industry-recognized certification. At the time, only 38 percent had one. Today, that number has risen to 55 percent, thanks to the dedicat
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Black History Month matters—for everybody
Feb. 17, 2025
Much of what makes America the envy of the world is its great diversity. That diversity cuts across many different lines: Income, geography, gender, ethnicity, race, and many other factors contribute to the nation’s economic strength and competitive ingenuity.
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Boosting civics lessons helps strengthen civil discourse—And democracy
Feb. 17, 2025
We disagree so much in this country that it’s heartening to find an idea that nearly everybody supports—at least generally.
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Yes, the country’s people are better trained and educated as we begin 2025
Feb. 4, 2025
But our collective efforts must keep evolving until learning after high school prepares graduates to thrive economically.
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Cost is one thing—Value is another
Jan. 21, 2025
A shift to skills-based hiring is a good development, but don’t be fooled—the advantage for college-educated workers will continue to grow, Jamie Merisotis writes.
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Gen Z students are optimistic about higher education—let’s prove them right
Jan. 15, 2025
The end-of-year news retrospectives are over, and the “what’s ahead” predictions are wilting faster than New Year’s party flowers. But one significant 2025 milepost got little notice: Generation Z, the world’s largest generation, now makes up more than a quarter of the global labor force.
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Progress in a time of disruption: The urgency of reimagining higher ed
Nov. 20, 2024
Higher education has an opportunity to use this moment of extreme stress to pursue genuine, urgently-needed systemic change.
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Job hunters gain a lot by learning the value of connections
Oct. 31, 2024
Half a year after the Class of 2024 donned caps and gowns, even some highly skilled graduates are struggling to find jobs in their field or at the level they expected.
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Retooling higher education to meet the needs of Gen Z
Oct. 25, 2024
Marketers love them. Politicians court them. Colleges want them—badly. For the 69 million members of Gen Z in America, things might finally be looking up.
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To advance our social missions, philanthropy needs to address climate change
Oct. 25, 2024
The devastation of recent hurricanes in the U.S. Southeast brings a sobering reminder that none of us can ignore the growing dangers of climate change. Hurricanes Helene and Milton gained intensity from warming ocean temperatures, to catastrophic and deadly effects on parts of the country that once
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Non-degree credentials are great tools, but some need sharpening
Oct. 10, 2024
Medical billing, supply chain management, web design and development—name a field, and there’s probably a course available to learn it. Recent years have seen an explosion in the number of workforce credentials—degrees, certificates, badges, apprenticeships—over 1 million nationwide by one c
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Let’s tap the real power of college alumni
Sept. 24, 2024
Football games, open houses, booths selling swag—it’s fall homecoming season on college campuses, and your alma mater is eager to show off its athletic accomplishments, its new energy-efficient buildings, and its innovative academic programs. A goal of these perennial pep rallies, of course, is
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Lumina Foundation President and CEO Jamie Merisotis on #WeeklyWisdom
Sept. 24, 2024
In this episode of the Innovating Together podcast, Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance and Sara Custer, Editor-In-Chief of Inside Higher Ed are joined by Lumina President and CEO, Jamie Merisotis.
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A shifting landscape: reflecting on higher ed’s role in democracy, citizenship, and our overall prosperity
Sept. 13, 2024
Higher education and workforce leaders from more than 30 states gathered this week in Baltimore to explore national trends related to education and training after high school, equitable public financing and individual benefits, and the value and purpose of colleges and universities in American socie
