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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Making six figures without a college degree isn’t as simple as it sounds
Jan. 19, 2026
Every so often, a new story makes the rounds about how Americans without four-year college degrees can still make six-figure salaries. Take this piece from LendingTree, which highlights elevator installers and repairers—47.5 percent of whom earn more than $100,000 a year without a bachelor’s de
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Aligning affordability, value, and trust to make college pay off
Dec. 22, 2025
If we can align affordability, value, and trust, we can once again make higher education the engine of upward mobility.
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Opportunity for All, Jamie Merisotis guests on EdUp Insights podcast
Dec. 2, 2025
Lumina Foundation's Jamie Merisotis offers insight from his decades of experience as an author, policy innovator, and philanthropist on the future of education and work—and his vision for a world where learning and human potential drive progress and opportunity for everyone.
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Rebuilding trust in higher ed through value and purpose
Oct. 20, 2025
Few aspects of modern life are as closely scrutinized as higher education, and no wonder: Though most Americans believe that a college degree leads to better jobs, many also think it costs too much and may not be worth the time and money.
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Humanity AI: Putting people at the center of the AI revolution
Oct. 14, 2025
The announcement today of Humanity AI marks one of the most ambitious philanthropic responses yet to the disruptive rise of artificial intelligence. Backed by an initial $500 million in commitments, this five-year collaborative seeks nothing less than to rebalance the trajectory of artificial intell
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Democracy vs. technocracy: Why AI needs a moral operating system
Sept. 15, 2025
Artificial intelligence, the fastest-growing force of change in society today, has captured the imagination and concern of leaders in fields such as education, economics, defense—and even religion.
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Degrees of opportunity: Rethinking value in higher ed
Aug. 18, 2025
Colleges and universities are doing a better job lately explaining the value of their degrees, and increasingly they're getting important help in making that case.
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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.
