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Postsecondary Education

From community college courses to doctoral programs, postsecondary education encompasses all forms of schooling after completion of high school or its equivalent. RAND's research on postsecondary education programs and institutions throughout the world has been influential; research in Qatar, for instance, led to reform of the National University and a realignment of postsecondary education to societal needs.

Journal Article

Journal Article

Market Power and Price Discrimination in the US Market for Higher Education

We estimate an equilibrium model of private and public college competition and pricing using the NPSAS. We find substantial exercise of inefficient market power and, importantly, sizable variation by both college quality and student characteristics.

Feb 15, 2019
Research Brief

Educators and Employers Could Align Efforts to Fill STEM Jobs

Middle-skills STEM workers are in high demand in the oil and natural gas industry, but they need the proper training and credentials. Better collaboration between employers and colleges could bridge the gap between the skills and knowledge employers seek and what instructors emphasize.

Feb 7, 2019
Report

Report

Supporting Middle-Skills STEM Workforce Development: Analysis of Workplace Skills in Demand and Education Institutions' Curricular Offerings in the Oil and Gas Sector

In this report, researchers examine the alignment of college STEM education with the needs of employers in the tri-state region of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, as well as STEM areas in which college students need more support.

Feb 7, 2019
Essay

Pardee RAND Reimagines the Future of Public Policy Problem Solving

The Pardee RAND Graduate School is taking a new approach to public policy education. Three new streams of study and action will better align with today's policy needs. Faculty and students will shift the focus from coming up with solutions to actually implementing them.

Jan 7, 2019
Report

Using Technology to Promote Postsecondary Success and Savings: An Evaluation of the University of Texas at Tyler's PATSS Initiative

The University of Texas at Tyler has adopted a class format that allows for both online and in-person instruction. This research measures the impact of this format and offers recommendations for its continued implementation.

Dec 13, 2018
Report

Report

A One-Stop Approach to Supporting the Nonacademic Needs of Community College Students: An Evaluation of Single Stop's Impact in North Carolina

This report examines the impact of using Single Stop (a program that connects college students to governmental, community, and institutional resources) on postsecondary outcomes for students at four community colleges in North Carolina.

Nov 12, 2018
Dissertation

Dissertation

Choose Wisely: A Study of College Major Choice and Major Switching Behavior

This dissertation explores the college major decision-making process, both for initial and subsequent major choices, and analyzes the associations between major choice behaviors and student outcomes such as time to degree and probability of graduation.

Aug 31, 2018
Dissertation

Dissertation

Financial Education among Financially Vulnerable Populations in the United States

Examines if state-mandated financial education improves debt-related and college-going behaviors among economically vulnerable young adults.

Aug 29, 2018
News Release

News Release

Student-Run Mental Health Education Efforts May Help Improve Mental Health Climate on College Campuses

Getting college students to engage with peer-run organizations that focus on mental health awareness can improve college students' knowledge about mental health, reduce stigma, and may play an important role in improving the campus climate toward mental health.

Jun 27, 2018
Commentary

The Case for Corequisites: What Are the Ingredients of Success?

More than two-thirds of community college students and 40 percent of four-year college students take at least one developmental education course. States and colleges across the United States are experimenting with innovative approaches to developmental education to improve graduation rates for struggling students.

May 23, 2018
Testimony

Five Options for Long-Term Sustainability of Pennsylvania's State System Universities

Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education faces significant challenges to its long-term sustainability, including population shifts and limited state funding. There are options to address these issues and avoid closures, but major structural changes will be needed.

Apr 25, 2018
Report

Sustaining Pennsylvania's State System Universities

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is facing considerable challenges, such as demographic shifts, limited state funding, and strong competition. Options are available to address the system's long-term sustainability and viability, but major changes would be needed.

Apr 25, 2018
Commentary

Bridging the Growing College Divide Among Young Americans

Over the last decade, more Americans age 25 to 34 earned four-year college and graduate degrees, but the number of those without college degrees also increased. New ways of communicating educational options and outcomes to young people are needed.

Apr 13, 2018
Commentary

Ready, Set, College

With the nation investing at least $1 billion a year in developmental education, states and colleges are rethinking their approaches to reform. Are states moving too fast to mandate developmental education policy? It depends on the policy.

Mar 5, 2018
Commentary

Here's How a National Database Could Help Colleges Fight Sexual Assault

At a moment of heightened awareness around sexual violence, America's colleges and universities have an opportunity to lead by example, through a commitment to full transparency about campus sexual assaults and openness to learning from each other's failures and successes.

Mar 2, 2018
Report

Designing and Implementing Corequisite Models of Developmental Education: Findings from Texas Community Colleges

This report describes the implementation of integrated reading and writing corequisites -- a reform to developmental education that accelerates students into college-level courses, while providing academic support -- in Texas community colleges.

Feb 12, 2018
Report

Report

California Community College Faculty and Staff Help Address Student Mental Health Issues

This report determines the preliminary impact of CalMHSA's prevention and early intervention activities on the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of California community college faculty and staff regarding supporting students' mental health needs.

Jan 3, 2018
Research Brief

The Uphill Climb: Women and Some Minorities Encounter Disparities in STEM Occupations, Even with Post-Secondary Education

This brief explores the role that postsecondary education plays in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, finding that women and some minorities are less likely to earn these degrees and to enter STEM employment.

Dec 8, 2017
Report

Postsecondary Education and STEM Employment in the United States: An Analysis of National Trends with a Focus on the Natural Gas and Oil Industry

This report aims to contribute new knowledge to understanding the role that postsecondary education plays in meeting the increasing demands of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce.

Dec 6, 2017
Report

Employers and Colleges Could Plan Better for Future Oil and Natural Gas Workforce

Advances in natural gas extraction should bring long-term economic benefits to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. A survey of employers and educators can inform policy decisions on how best to expand and sustain the pool of skilled workers.

Oct 17, 2017

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RAND Topic:
Postsecondary Education

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