Brand-Building at Community Colleges
In an age of information overload, how do you tell the story of who your college is to students and your community? How do you take charge of your own narrative and showcase all that your college has to offer?
Featured Resources
Some highlights of Lumina's work
We're sharing tools and takeaways from our efforts to create a better-educated nation.
The Great Admissions Redesign
Lumina Foundation is seeking to work with states, higher education systems, and groups of colleges and universities ready to transform how potential students apply, enroll, and access their institutions.
A Stronger Nation
We're tracking America's progress toward the nation's 60% attainment goal.
Community College Challenge
The Million Dollar Community College Challenge team is shining a spotlight on the great work of community colleges around the country.
REACH Collaborative
We're supporting community colleges in six states to create short-term credential-to-degree pathways for adults who are Black, Latino, Hispanic, and Native American.
Changing the Narrative on Student Borrowers of Color
A collection of essays from student loan experts sets the record straight on borrowing among students of color.
Community Grants
Our community grants portfolio supports local organizations in our hometown of Indianapolis and around central Indiana.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Hear stories about how HBCU's help students thrive.
Tuition Reimbursement
Meet a few of the workers and employers participating in tuition reimbursement programs.
Lumina Impact Ventures
Lumina Impact Ventures is the Foundation's impact investing arm partnering with mission-aligned social enterprises.
Local Talent Handbook
A guide for local leaders to build talent pool in their communities.
I Want That Job!
A series from WorkingNation on promising career paths for early career workers
History of Federal Student Aid
A film series documenting the policy and the political origins of federal financial aid programs
Beyond Financial Aid
How colleges can strengthen students’ financial stability, leading to higher completion rates
State Strategy Labs
Lumina supports state leaders’ efforts to increase education levels by offering nonpartisan research, data, peer advice, and technical support.
Degree Qualification Profile
A learning-centered framework for what college graduates should know and be able to do to earn the associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree.
2023 Economic Mobility Index
Sept. 13, 2023
It’s an age-old question for many students, families, and taxpayers: Which college is the best? Different ranking systems have attempted to quantify the value of higher education in a simple roundup list for decades. But a new approach outlined in this report from Third Way shifts the focus to institutions that offer strong return on…
Back to Basics
July 8, 2021
The abrupt switch to online learning may not have been ideal for colleges and universities—but it ultimately offered some valuable lessons. A new report from New America documents the successes and failures of the past 17 months and makes policy recommendations for how to improve access to high-quality online education in the future.
Scaling High-Impact Practices to Improve Community College Student Outcomes
March 3, 2021
Public two-year colleges serve as an important access point for two out of every five students enrolled in postsecondary education. However, only 40 percent of community college students earn a postsecondary credential of any kind within six years, limiting their opportunities for advancement.1 Hoping to increase student retention and success, many colleges are developing and…
High-Impact Practices and Gains in Student Learning
Feb. 9, 2021
This report examines the relationship between students’ participation in high-impact practices (HIP) and their perceived learning gains, with special attention paid to the nature of these relationships among Black and Hispanic students and among students 25 years or older. In 2018, with support from Lumina Foundation, the National Association of System Heads (NASH) launched an…
Workplace Basics
Nov. 20, 2020
Explores how 120 in-demand skills within specific occupations lead to higher earnings in jobs in which they are used most intensively.
Identifying High-Quality Industry Certifications
Nov. 8, 2020
Based on this review, the brief offers guidance on identifying high-quality industry certifications, and guidance to states and other entities on processes for identifying high-quality industry certifications.
A Closer Look at Virginia’s Digital Divide in Education
Aug. 11, 2020
A report from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shows that 1 in 5 K-12 and college students in Virginia lack either high-speed internet or a computer in their home, both of which are necessary for successful online or remote learning.
The Pivot to Remote Teaching in Spring 2020 and Its Impact
July 20, 2020
A report from Quality Matters and Eduventures Research chronicles the evolution of online policies and practices in U.S. higher education from the perspective of chief online officers. The survey specifically captures leadership reflections on the pandemic-induced emergency remote instruction in the spring: what happened, what worked, and implications for fall.
The Case for Escape Hatches From Higher Education Accreditation
April 3, 2020
Within American higher education, accreditors are private entities that have quasi-regulatory power over colleges. If a college wants its students to be able to receive federal financial aid, such as a Pell grant or a student loan, it must first obtain accreditation.
Lumina’s Commitment to Educational Quality
Jan. 8, 2020
As Lumina Foundation works to increase the nation’s education attainment rates, we embrace a dual commitment – to quality credentials and to racial equity. In short, we seek to ensure that degrees and other education credentials reflect the learning necessary for workplace success and informed citizenship. At the same time, we work to ensure that…
The Bermuda Triad
Nov. 19, 2019
This report examines the system of shared accountability that devolves into a game of hot potato, with no one member of the program integrity triad willing to take serious action against an institution of higher education that falls short of its standards until other members of the triad have stepped up. In its examination, the…
Unlocking the Nation’s Potential
Sept. 10, 2019
Profound changes in the economy, in society, and in educational systems and institutions require equally profound changes in the way we regulate the sector and assess the quality of college degrees and other credentials earned after high school. This report, which aims to be at least a first step in that change effort, proposes three…
Quality Assurance slidedeck | PPT
Sept. 9, 2019
Presentation from the Unlocking the Nation’s Potential report release, presented by Debra Humphreys in Sept. 2019.
Should College Come With a Money-Back Guarantee?
July 1, 2019
Experience will show if guarantees play an important role in the future of U.S. higher education. But with tuition prices continuing to rise year after year and the fact that many perceive that college degrees will be necessary to enable participation in the future economy, it’s very likely that we’ll see dramatic, systemic changes in…
Lumina State Quality RFP
July 1, 2019
To assist states interested in assuring quality across systems and in increasing equitable access to quality pathways and credentials, we are excited to launch the Lumina State Quality Assurance Grant Fund to provide assistance in developing or implementing new approaches to quality assurance and improvement.
SAT-Only Admission
June 21, 2019
The question of how heavily to weigh standardized test scores in admissions decisions is about more than fairness in admissions. At its heart, it’s a question about the goals of our higher education system and what we do when those goals are in tension. It’s rooted in a longstanding debate about the quest to find…
Quality Assurance and Improvement in Higher Education
May 21, 2019
Using a variety of data sources, including two in-person convenings of relevant stakeholders, a survey of state higher education agencies and system offices, and qualitative interviews, the partners explored current quality assurance and improvement practices, challenges and limitations related to quality assurance and improvement at the state and system levels, and ideas for how current…
Engagement Insights: Annual Results 2018
Nov. 14, 2018
At a time when a college degree and employability are increasingly intertwined, 93 percent of college seniors believe what they are learning is relevant to their career paths, according to the 2018 annual survey by the National Survey of Student Engagement.
New Approaches to Judging Quality in Higher Education
June 25, 2018
Spurred by the multiyear economic slowdown of the last decade combined with rapid advances in technology, new and innovative education and career training models have emerged outside of traditional colleges and universities. This report from The Council for Higher Education Accreditation profiles several emerging approaches to defining and measuring quality.
Innovation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education
June 18, 2018
Accreditors can block innovation, but they may also facilitate it, proposes a new paper from The Christensen Institute. The study features stories of four educational institutions that have tried to launch innovative practices on their campuses.