Outcomes Focused College Search

Navigating college admissions and financial aid is overwhelming for families due to a lack of accurate and useful metrics. Common sources like marketing content and popular rankings often fail to provide a complete picture, or they are more aspirational than realistic, and sometimes they’re even fabricated. Limited sources of data and colleges massaging information further complicate matters.  

For example, one large public research institution reports to the Dept. of Education a 6yr graduation rate of 71%, one online platform only reports the 8yr graduation rate for that school (73%), and a local newspaper reported data provided by the institution that said their graduation rate was 83%, without explaining how it was calculated or why it is different than the other reported rates.  By all accounts, the newspaper article reached the most consumers because the school shared that news article with all of its potential applicants that year, along with prideful accounts of their new facilities (which raises costs), prominent research faculty (who likely don't teach undergraduates), the tuition discounts they provide (not mentioning they inflate their sticker-price to begin with), etc.  

But there are good performance-based metrics that can help students and their parents ignore the marketing and hype so they can make informed decisions.  Here are the most useful and informative metrics you can use. 

Institutional Metrics

1. Undergraduate and Graduate enrollment sizes

2. 4yr and 6yr graduation rates

3. First Year Retention rate

4. Acceptance rate

5. Student to faculty ratio

1. Ideally specific to undergraduates

6. Age, racial, and ethnic diversity proportions

7. Class size breakdown

Academic metrics

1. GPA of incoming or enrolled FY students

1. Ideally you want to look at the range, the average or median, and the 25th and 75th percentiles

2. A breakdown showing proportion of students at various scores/score ranges is a good alternative

2. SAT/ACT scores of incoming or enrolled FY students

1. Ideally you want to look at the range, the average or median, and the 25th and 75th percentiles

2. A breakdown showing proportion of students at various GPA scores/score ranges is a good alternative

Financial Metrics

1. Net Cost/Price

1. Ideally you want to look at the average, breakdown of average net cost by household income, as well as your individual estimated net cost

2. Average/Median Debt

1. Ideally, you want to look at your estimated individual debt and estimated or average monthly debt payment as well

3. Post-graduation earnings

1. Ideally, you want to look at average/median earnings 1 or 2 years out, 7-10 years out, 20 years out, and 40 years out.

2. The more you can break this out by major/degree the better

4. Loan repayment status (post-graduation, across multiple years, not just one point in time)

5. Percentage earning more than a high school graduate

Return on Investment metrics

1. Net Present Value at 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 years

2. Earnings to Cost ratio

3. Earnings to Debt ratio

A Short-list focused on Performance Indicators

1. 4yr and 6yr graduation rates

2. First Year Retention rate

3. Net Cost

4. Average/Median Debt

5. Percentage earning more than a high school graduate

6. Net Present Value at 10 and 40 years

7. Earnings to Cost ratio

8. Earnings to Debt ratio 

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