News Archive

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 degree. It’s the kind of story that spreads quickly: hope for the non-college majority, proof that not all good jobs require a diploma.

We know that education is a powerful tool for opportunity. But with rising college costs and more students relying on loans, this pressing question remains: Is college still worth it?

If we can align affordability, value, and trust, we can once again make higher education the engine of upward mobility.

More than 1M short-term workforce credentialing programs are offered today, but little has been done to help adults identify which programs meet industry standards and lead to higher-paying jobs. That’s changing.

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.

Thirteen states are working to set new goals for better-educated, better-trained residents.

States need to help people complete credentials that pay off—in wages, career mobility, and community vitality.

Once a global leader in higher education, the United States now finds itself spending more than nearly all of its peer nations while delivering outcomes that fall increasingly short of expectations.

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.

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 intelligence development, shifting power toward the public good.

From campus to work: Why Lumina is investing in career-connected High-Impact Practices

Higher education is navigating unprecedented times marked by misinformation, public skepticism, and structural change.  The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) meeting is critical for uncovering important research and practical strategies to help institutions maneuver through this shifting landscape. 

U.S. employers and colleges are contending with more young people who are behind academically. Some are trying to make up where schools have failed.

Lumina Foundation, CollegeAPP, and StrategyForward Advisors have joined to launch the Rural Community College Adult Learner Engagement initiative, supporting a cohort of rural colleges in strengthening their outreach to attract and enroll adults.

Colleges eager to help adult learners—especially Black, Hispanic and Latino, and Native American adults who have historically been left behind—know this goal requires more than surface-level tweaks. It demands deep, sustained, and mission-driven institutional change.

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.

Hear insights from a nationwide movement. The live podcast includes real stories from the field illuminating how change happens—and where it’s heading.

This summer, the National Student Clearinghouse issued a new report with mixed news. While many states have made progress in re-enrolling people who have some college credit but have yet to earn their credential, the total population of U.S. adults in this group has grown. Now, over 43 million Americans have some college credit but stopped out before they could complete their first credential.

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.

Some of America’s most vital engines of post-high school learning and opportunity are overlooked and underfunded. Historically Black Community Colleges (HBCCs) and Predominantly Black Community Colleges (PBCCs) play an outsized role in connecting people to learning, credentials, and careers, especially in communities that traditional schools have long underserved.

Twenty-four states allow community and technical colleges to issue bachelor's degrees. Podcast guests Dr. Debra Bragg, Jim Reed, and Sunaina Virendra talk through the pros and cons and discuss recent efforts to launch new community college baccalaureate programs.

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.

Forty-three million Americans have started college but left without earning a credential. That group, known as “some college, no credential,” or SCNC, is larger than the population of California. And it continues to grow.

Discover how higher education serves as a catalyst for climate solutions and societal progress in this live taping of Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Talent podcast from the 2025 SXSW Podcast Lounge.

Something strange is happening in America: confidence in higher education is creeping back up. And not just among the usual suspects. Republicans, independents, people with and without degrees, Black and Hispanic communities. We're seeing a thaw across the board.

Americans eager to gain new skills and energize their careers quickly and inexpensively are turning to increasingly popular short-term workforce programs.

Twelve states will identify and support training policies that deliver real economic value for taxpayers and individuals.

With growing skepticism and doubt about the value of a traditional college degree, many Americans are opting for short-term credentials that offer a quicker route to economic opportunity. But with more than a million certificate programs out there, how can students (or employers, for that matter) know which ones actually lead to better jobs and bigger paychecks?

In a time of tense scrutiny of higher education, it helps to be reminded why college matters.

Last month, during Mental Health Awareness Month, posters went up on campuses across the country, and social media hashtags trended. Now we’re in June, and the conversation begins to fade—while students' struggles do not.