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
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.
SAC Data Workshop
April 8, 2026
Creating Indicators, not Answers, Stronger Nation: Data Management, The Five-part Harmony, Setting Benchmarks
Prosperity Benchmark Calculations
April 8, 2026
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).
Methodological processes to estimate short-term credential of value
April 8, 2026
This document details the methodology for counting certificates and certifications that are used for reporting beginning in 2024 (applies to 2023 data and forward).
State Attainment Collaborative newsletter, March 2026
March 25, 2026
Across Lumina’s State Attainment Collaborative (SAC) cohort, states are making significant progress in engaging stakeholders to advance value-centered attainment goals.
Aligning education and work
March 24, 2026
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…
Understanding Black Students’ Experiences and Outcomes at For-Profit Colleges to Inform State Oversight
March 5, 2026
A snapshot of Black student enrollment and outcomes at for-profit colleges paired with the perspectives of Black alumni of for-profit undergraduate and graduate programs
Lessons (So Far) From Lumina Foundation’s FutureReady States Initiative
March 5, 2026
This report synthesizes landscape assessments from 12 states participating in Lumina Foundation’s FutureReady States (FRS) initiative.
The Economic Value of New Jersey’s Community Colleges
Feb. 25, 2026
New Jersey’s community colleges trace their roots back to 1933 when Union College was founded. Since then, the number of colleges has grown to 18 institutions across the state.
Help More Students Complete College
Feb. 25, 2026
Completing a quality degree is key to unlocking the benefits of higher education, including securing meaningful employment that pays a family-sustaining wage and allows borrowers to repay student loans.
The College Reality Check
Feb. 24, 2026
While public confidence in higher education has declined sharply in recent years, current students and graduates report far more optimistic experiences. The College Reality Check: What Students Experience vs. What America Believes report from Lumina Foundation and Gallup examines this divide, highlighting public skepticism alongside the positive outcomes described by those on campus and beyond.
Understanding the Needs of First-Generation College Students Who Stop Out
Feb. 20, 2026
College stop-out rates have long been a challenge in higher education, and particularly at community colleges.
Debunking 10 Myths About Dual Enrollment
Feb. 19, 2026
Dual enrollment programs are evidence-based practices that improve rates of college enrollment, high school and degree completion, and college credit accumulation.
Reconnecting Opportunity Youth to Work and a Future
Feb. 18, 2026
An estimated 5.5 million young Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are neither enrolled in school nor serving as active participants in the workforce, according to a new report from the American Enterprise Institute.
Rethinking Underemployment: Are College Graduates Using Their Degrees?
Feb. 17, 2026
Recent college graduates are facing a bumpy landing in the labor market.
The Causal Effects of Federal Work-Study Offers on College Enrollment and Program Participation
Feb. 11, 2026
Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a distinctive type of financial aid, originally intended to both reduce financial constraints and improve access to career-relevant job opportunities.
The Subprime PLUS Loan Crisis: How Dozens of Universities Steer Low-Income Families to Debt They Can’t Afford
Feb. 11, 2026
This report from identifies 41 universities that appear to be steering low-income families to Parent PLUS loan debt they cannot afford, at the same time that they are providing large tuition discounts to wealthier...
Supporting Multilingual Learners in Community Colleges: Lessons From City Colleges of Chicago
Feb. 6, 2026
For a wide variety of people learning English in the United States, community colleges provide access to key educational programs.
Protecting Tuition Equity Playbook
Feb. 3, 2026
A new resource from the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration aims to support higher education institutions, state leaders, and advocates as they respond to heightened federal efforts to challenge...
Invisible on Campus: The Student Loneliness Crisis
Feb. 3, 2026
Loneliness among college students is deeply intertwined with mental health, wellbeing, academic performance, and their ability to persist.
The Future of Fair Admissions
Feb. 2, 2026
Class Action’s new report, The Future of Fair Admissions: A First Look at College Enrollment Outcomes After the End of Affirmative Action, compares first-time enrollments in 2022 and 2023 to enrollments in 2024 at over 3,000 colleges and universities for more than 3 million freshmen.