Higher Education Accountability. One Pager

Overview & Synopsis

Until recently, institutions of higher education were considered successful if they maintained strong enrollment and provided broad access to students. Today, however, a growing national movement seeks to hold colleges accountable for what happens after students graduate--or fail to graduate. President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBA) requires states to evaluate institutions based on post-graduation outcomes. A few leading states already have initiatives that measure the value of higher education through return-on-investment analyses or incentive programs, often called "outcomes-based funding." These initiatives use postgraduation outcomes data to inform decisions on program offerings and funding. Collectively, these efforts are shifting the focus of higher education from inputs to outcomes. ExcelinEd calls the data used for higher education accountability a Return on Investment Analysis. A comprehensive ROI analysis evaluates whether postsecondary programs lead to positive outcomes such as strong wages, continued education or qualified military enlistment. It also tells stakeholders whether those outcomes align with high-demand, high-skill, high-wage occupations in a state's economy.