Strada collaborates with students, policymakers, educators, and employers across the U.S. to strengthen the link between education and opportunity.
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We prioritize policies, practices, and programs that help ensure postsecondary education provides equitable pathways to opportunity.
We advance our mission through research, grantmaking, social impact investments, public policy solutions, Strada-supported nonprofit organizations, and strategic initiatives.
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As Strada pursued ongoing research to understand Americans’ experiences with education and work after high school, presidents, chancellors, provosts, deans and faculty approached us seeking more specific and actionable data to guide strategic initiatives and continuous improvement efforts on their campuses. In response, we developed a new survey to measure alumni perspectives on how their education affected their lives and their careers. In addition to the confidential data and reports provided to the more than 70 participating schools to date, in 2022 and 2021 we completed national surveys of more than 3,000 alumni to provide insights and benchmarks to the entire field.
Explore results from the 2021 national benchmark study using net benefit scores.*
*Net benefit scores are calculated by subtracting the percentage of negative responses from the percentage of positive responses. The percentage of neutral responses are not included in the score.
Explore key questions related to specific campus responsibilities.
For more information on the survey, download an overview or contact alumnisurvey@stradaeducation.org.
The State Opportunity Index was developed to help states build a stronger connection between education after high school and equitable pathways to opportunity so students realize the full value of their education and employers have the workforce they need to fill high-demand jobs.
New research highlights what states and institutions can do to help more graduates secure college-level jobs.
To better understand the value community colleges provide to individuals and communities, we need to acknowledge the range of needs they serve.
According to new Strada Education Foundation research, community college attendees who complete an associate degree or successfully transfer to a four-year institution value their education at rates comparable to or higher than recent bachelor’s degree completers. However, researchers found first-generation students rated the value of their community college education about 20 percentage points lower than those who are not first-generation students.
A wide range of experiences prepare students for success beyond the completion of their college degree. The evidence for the value of interning on students’ future careers is strong.
In an era of student enrollment declines, tight labor markets, rising college costs, and a growing lack of confidence in the value of a postsecondary education, community colleges and employers have ample reasons to partner together.
Partnerships between community colleges and employers have the opportunity to address local and regional economic needs through a range of tools, including supporting student success through resources and services, integrating work-based learning, and building career pathways.
A rich mixture of skills gained in college improves post-completion outcomes for graduates
At a time of growing societal uncertainty about the value of higher education and declining enrollment, the views of alumni turn out to be particularly insightful. This group can provide especially valuable feedback about how their education experiences have enriched their lives, which can help us ensure that today’s students maximize all the benefits that college offers.
The list of benefits associated with earning a college degree is extensive and oft-repeated. It includes higher average lifetime earnings, employment security, greater self-esteem, and better health, among many others.
Amid all of this disruption, the number of U.S. workers leaving or changing their jobs sharply increased. Known variously as the Great Resignation, Reshuffle, or Realignment, the trend has been cast in the cultural imagination as a collective desire on the part of the American workforce for more rewarding or meaningful work.
New Study from Strada Education Network Reveals a Silver Lining at a Challenging Time
Over the past 80 years, our nation has made great strides in improving access to college, and then ensuring that many more students could complete a college degree.