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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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
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Everyone counts: Colleges, companies, and communities must work together to build greater higher ed value
Aug. 19, 2024
Given that higher education is all about developing critical thinking skills and challenging assumptions, educators should welcome the increasingly tough questions about the value of college degrees.
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For college students—and for higher ed itself—AI is a required course
July 23, 2024
Some of the nation’s biggest tech companies have announced efforts to reskill people to avoid job losses caused by artificial intelligence, even as they work to perfect the technology that could eliminate millions of those jobs.
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Respect and skepticism collide when it comes to how we view college
July 1, 2024
Students are deeply concerned about college costs and the availability of jobs—but even so, more people than ever are interested in higher education. That’s the news from Gallup’s State of Higher Education 2024 report—and the fact that both those can be true says a lot about higher education
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Don’t let the ‘woke’ narrative blind us to higher ed’s contributions
June 10, 2024
This could be a challenging year for the 4 million or so people just graduating from college: While the National Association of Colleges and Employers reports that most employers say they will maintain or increase hiring, sizeable job cuts elsewhere mean an overall decrease in hiring.
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As students question the value of college, higher ed works to fix the ‘time trap’
May 20, 2024
At a time when bachelor’s degrees are more valuable than ever, only about 62 percent of this year’s high school graduates are expected to enroll in college next fall.
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Our K-12 expectations are outdated—here’s a better way
May 6, 2024
An educational view dating back more than a century is getting a fresh look, and that could be the key to rethinking how we approach education and training after high school.
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FAFSA: Fixing the critical link to college affordability and completion
April 22, 2024
Higher education is in triage mode as it scrambles to lessen the negative impacts from this year’s delayed rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
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Do college majors matter? Not as much as you think
April 8, 2024
It might be the most common question college students get. “What’s your major?” While it may be a great conversation starter on campus, the question isn’t all that effective in predicting someone’s job choice.
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Thinking about college? Don’t let COVID fatigue hold you back
March 25, 2024
Amid rising costs and questions about higher education, fewer young people are going to college, and that’s bad for all of us.
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When considering college, students and families should think more like investors
March 11, 2024
Of all the discussions about the cost and price of college, the most important often happen far from the seats of power in Congress and university boardrooms.
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Admissions Beat podcast S5 Episode 6: Is College Worth It?
March 5, 2024
Jamie Merisotis and Tony Carnevale share insights on American views on higher education, including: What is the enduring value of an undergraduate degree? What majors (if any) bring a career dividend despite the rising cost of obtaining it? And does “the duality of a good job and a good life” st
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Higher ed has its hot-button issues, but jobs remain a top priority for state policymakers
Feb. 26, 2024
As state legislatures across the country get deeper into the policymaking process this year, we’re getting a clearer idea of how they may act on the top issues facing college students and families.
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Even if your collar’s blue, a college degree can mean more green
Feb. 12, 2024
When we think of ways to make college more affordable and make degrees more valuable in the workplace, we don’t think about Chris Jones. I mention Jones, an Indiana electrician, but there are many like him: People with degrees in the humanities making a good living in fields far from the subjects
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Short-term credentials leading to pay increases fell, highlighting the need for programs to pay off.
Jan. 31, 2024
Thirty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, saw declines in the share of residents having industry certifications and college certificates with significant wage premiums. This unusual decline in short-term credentials, surfacing in Lumina Foundation’s update of A Stronger Nation toda
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Equity in higher education attainment—when good isn’t good enough
Jan. 29, 2024
New information about the immense value of college degrees will delight supporters of higher education. But what’s behind the numbers tells a tale of the unfinished business of college attainment.
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The news looks good for job-hunting grads this spring
Jan. 15, 2024
College students graduating this year have gotten mixed signals about the strength of the job market, but this much is clear: Just as for those final exams in the spring, preparation is everything when it comes to a solid career launch.
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The smart money is still on college, but hedge your bet by choosing wisely.
Dec. 18, 2023
The trouble with good advice is that it's often not good enough. That is the case with higher education. Yes, getting a college degree or other high-quality credential pays off very well—a college degree is worth $2.8 million in lifetime earnings, for example.
