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.
Student Mental Health on College Campuses
June 17, 2025
College students today often face a variety of challenges academic pressures, social and family stresses, financial/ economic hardship stresses, a rapidly shifting technological environment, an increasingly polarized political environment, and more.
Defining the Part-Time Student and Identifying Promising Practices
May 23, 2025
MDRC researchers share practices likely to support part-time student success.
Who’s Feeling It? The Real Faces of College Admissions Anxiety
May 5, 2025
Feelings of anxiety related to college searches and admissions applications align with key socio-demographic markers of wealth and status, according to this report from the Art & Science Group. Specifically, students from underrepresented backgrounds report more stress around the process than their higher-income peers.
Lumina @ 25
May 5, 2025
The national higher education policy landscape and state-level attainment have changed significantly since 2008, with Lumina playing a leading role. Through Strategy Labs and its strategic partnerships, Lumina has fostered a legacy of state-level support that has been instrumental in advancing goals for educational attainment and workforce alignment. This sustained focus on building state capacity,…
Microcredentials Impact Report 2025: Insights from Students and Employers
May 1, 2025
Students and employers overwhelmingly view microcredentials as critical to career readiness. According to a new report from Coursera, 85 percent of students who have earned a microcredential say it improves job prospects, and 91 pecent believe it will help them succeed once employed.
Policy Blueprint to Modernize & Expand Apprenticeship Nationwide
April 29, 2025
The U.S. labor market is at a crossroads. Despite unemployment holding steady at around 4.2 percent, many sectors and their employers face a persistent struggle to fill positions. This challenge is driven by several interconnected factors: an aging population, lagging labor force participation, and a widening gap between our education/training system and labor market demand…
2025 EDUCAUSE Teaching and Learning Workforce in Higher Education
April 28, 2025
As institutions navigate the evolving higher education environment to position themselves for long-term success, understanding how teaching and learning professionals perceive and respond to these shifts is essential for identifying the support they need to thrive in their roles and effectively serve students.
A Policy and Practice Guide to Supporting Bachelor’s Programs at Rural Community Colleges
April 23, 2025
When local community and labor market needs call for a new bachelor’s program, community colleges can welcome new students with a range of life and work experiences to pursue this degree and meet community needs, states this report from New America.
Supporting Young People’s Food Security
April 18, 2025
The transition from high school to early adulthood is a time when students must learn how to handle elements of daily life independently, and it is a particularly challenging time to experience food insecurity. Students who previously had access to food benefits in high school, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may have trouble…
Top Public Policy Issues Facing Governing Boards in 2025-2026
April 16, 2025
Concerns about the Trump administration’s plans for higher education are the basis of this report by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, which outlines the top public policy issues facing higher education governing boards.
State-Level Policies Develop Skilled Workforces Through Registered Apprenticeship Programs
April 11, 2025
A new report from Urban Institute explores how state-level policies shape the effectiveness and quality of Registered Apprenticeship Programs in the United States. Through interviews with the Office of Apprenticeship and four state apprenticeship agencies, the research examines policies on supervision, hiring, recordkeeping, wages, and Equal Employment Opportunity.
The Effects of Ohio’s EdChoice Voucher Program on College Enrollment and Graduation
April 11, 2025
More than a million U.S. students now participate in private school choice programs because of recent growth in vouchers, tax credit scholarships, education savings accounts, and tax credits. Given the rapid expansion in these programs, it is important to understand how they affect the students who participate in these programs and the students who remain…
The Reality of Free Speech on College Campuses
April 7, 2025
Learn more about student perspectives on free speech on college campuses Despite national debates suggesting that students face suppression of their views on college campuses, the latest Lumina Foundation-Gallup study tells a different story. The Beyond the Headlines: The Reality of Free Speech on College Campuses report finds that most bachelor's degree students, regardless of political…
Which Community College Awards Are Likely to Prepare Students for Post-Completion Success?
April 4, 2025
If community colleges are to build back enrollment after more than a decade of declines and address concerns about the value of a college education, they must ensure that their workforce and transfer programs are worth completing in that they prepare students to secure good jobs or transfer successfully.
2025 State of the Graduate Report
April 1, 2025
Today’s job market is constantly evolving, and today’s graduates are entering it with both confidence and conviction.
Supporting Online Learners
March 31, 2025
In the fall 2022 semester, more than half of college students took at least one online course, and approximately 20 percent of public four-year college students and 32 percent of community college students engaged exclusively in online education. This makes understanding how to effectively support online learners is critical. While research suggests that some forms…
Transfer Playbook 2.0
March 30, 2025
National surveys continue to show a significant gap between community college students’ aspirations and their bachelor’s attainment. Only 16 percent of community college students earn a bachelor’s degree within six years of entry—far fewer than the 80 percent who enter college with that goal. Yet, proven models nationwide demonstrate it doesn't have to be this…
Lumina Fact Sheet
March 28, 2025
Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation’s need for talent through a broad range of credentials. Our goal is to prepare people for informed citizenship and success…
Strategic Investments to Advance Apprenticeships in the US
March 26, 2025
As more young people seek alternatives pathways to college, apprenticeships have become increasingly popular. While the “earn and learn” model of apprenticeship seems to be the obvious choice to address labor market needs, it remains underutilized because of varying levels of available funding, experts contend.
MESA Program Spotlight: Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement Program
March 25, 2025
STEM fields are pivotal for innovation, driving economic growth, and technological advancements worldwide. In the United States, STEM careers are projected to grow by 11 percent from 2020 to 2031, significantly outpacing the overall job growth rate of eight percent.