HigherEdInfo.org

As part of NCHEMS’ ongoing commitment to providing policymakers with the information they need to make sound, data-informed decisions, we operated higheredinfo.org. The higheredinfo.org website, also called the Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis, was active from 2003 to 2024.

The now-retired site was developed with support from the Lumina Foundation for Education, the Ford Foundation and the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative. It contained a variety of state-level metrics useful for those involved in higher education policy work. The metrics were based on publicly available data from a number of federal agencies and other sources. Included in the metrics were topics of educational attainment, college access and affordability, persistence and completion, efficiency and effectiveness, higher education finance, workforce conditions, and economic conditions.

College-Going Rates

One of the site’s most popular topics was the college-going rates of students coming directly from high school. NCHEMS continues to calculate these rates for the public using the WICHE Knocking at the College Door 11th Edition estimates and IPEDS fall enrollment data. These rates represent the percentage of high school graduates who go on to attend a U.S. postsecondary institution within one year. To explore and download the data for college-going rates by state, year, college sector, and in-state vs. out-of-state location, please see our dashboard here.

If you are curious about other data formerly available on the HigherEdInfo site, please submit the form below. For other questions, please contact Louisa Hunkerstorm at louisa@nchems.org.