How to measure success in higher ed? Not just how many students attend, but how many graduate.

Although the American public is often told that a college education will consign them to six figures of debt and diminished financial prospects, the truth is that 36% of public four-year university graduates complete their degrees without any debt, the average debt among borrowers is $25,500, and less than 2% graduate with more than $60,000 in debt. Never mind that a bachelor’s degree adds up to $1 million to a worker’s lifetime earnings. Even some college, particularly a two-year degree, adds to lifetime earnings. Nearly 500 public universities have pledged to collectively increase the number of Americans earning a degree and share best practices that help to move the needle. Many institutions are using predictive analytics and Web-based advising to help students chart a clear path to graduation. Some are providing retention micro-grants to low-income students – who are often in their senior year and on track to graduate, but at risk of dropping out because they are just a few hundred dollars short on tuition. Other institutions have proved that an advising session at the beginning of a student’s senior year can appreciably increase their chances of graduating.