Resource Archive

In the United States, approximately 43.1 million people, including 37.6 million working age adults under the age of 65, enroll in postsecondary education, but leave without earning their intended degree or certificate.

This document details the methodology for counting certificates and certifications that are used for reporting beginning in 2024 (applies to 2023 data and forward).

The steps below describe the methods ECOnorthwest uses to calculate Lumina Foundation’s credential-of-value benchmark and identify the number and share of individuals meeting the benchmark, using Census Bureau’s American Community Survey Public Use Microdata (PUMS).

Creating Indicators, not Answers, Stronger Nation: Data Management, The Five-part Harmony, Setting Benchmarks

Across the United States, many community college students intend to earn a bachelor’s degree, but far fewer do so.

The restoration of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students and the expansion of Prison Education Program approval requirements have increased expectations for how higher education in prison programs collect,...

Nearly one in three Americans has a record of arrest, conviction, or incarceration.

Artificial intelligence has become a routine part of college life, even as many institutions struggle to set clear rules for its use. New research from Lumina Foundation and Gallup finds that a majority of college students now use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini for their coursework at least weekly, including…

Across Lumina’s State Attainment Collaborative (SAC) cohort, states are making significant progress in engaging stakeholders to advance value-centered attainment goals.

Higher education continues to play a central role in hiring decisions. However, employers report growing challenges in finding candidates with the right skills and preparing recent graduates for immediate effectiveness. The 2026 Gallup survey of 2,000 U.S. employers from Lumina Foundation and Gallup examines how employers view the state of higher education and the talent…

A new report from Complete College America and The Campaign for College Opportunity serves as a statewide playbook that outlines the policy and system-level reforms California must implement to meet Governor Gavin...

This report synthesizes landscape assessments from 12 states participating in Lumina Foundation’s FutureReady States (FRS) initiative.

See the enrollment outcomes at more than 3,000 institutions in 2024, the first year affected by the Supreme Court's elimination of race-conscious admissions compared to 2018 and 2019. Enrollment data are drawn from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

This document details the methodology for counting certificates and certifications that are used for reporting beginning in 2024 (applies to 2023 data and forward). Certifications rates are developed using the CPS but directly align with how degrees are evaluated under Lumina Foundation’s revised goal. Certificate rates are developed through a multi-step process that estimates the…

What Matters is the State Population Holding Credentials that Lead to Economic Opportunity