Skip to page content

Postsecondary Education

Featured

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.

Commentary
If College Isn't the Pathway to the Middle Class It Once Was—What Is?
Is college still the best path to the middle class? It's complicated. College credentials still do lead many to increased earnings, but the rapid increases in college costs, coupled with a strong labor market, have made the payoff for a college degree no longer a sure thing.
Apr 5, 2022
Report
Career Services and College-Employer Partnership Practices in Community Colleges
The number of middle-skill jobs in STEM fields that require credentials but not a four-year college degree is growing. Community colleges play a key role in preparing students to fill these positions. How can states support colleges and their partnerships with employers?
Jul 6, 2022

Explore Postsecondary Education

Blog
Federal Workers, Afghanistan, Sectarianism: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the critical roles of federal workers, withdrawing from Afghanistan, countering sectarianism in the Middle East, and more.
Jan 18, 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
In 2013, the University of Texas at Tyler began the implementation of the PATSS program, an initiative that seeks to increase the use of online technologies for instruction. What are the academic outcomes in PATSS courses relative to traditional courses?
Dec 13, 2018
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
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
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
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
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 16, 2017
Report
Dual Credit Education in Texas: Interim Report
Examines the accessibility, diversity, quality, and efficiency of dual credit education programs in Texas, and proposes areas of dual credit education to investigate in the second phase of the study.
Aug 29, 2017
Commentary
National Database Could Help Students Pick College—and Income
A bill introduced in May would create a searchable database of students' college majors and earnings after graduation. The data could help U.S. students make informed decisions and could also be used to better allocate resources that benefit students.
Aug 1, 2017

Previous
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Next

RAND Topic:
Postsecondary Education

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Stefanie Howard

Associate Dean of Enrollment and New Programs, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Stefanie Stern Howard is the associate dean of enrollment and new programs for the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She maintains overall responsibility for planning, directing, and coordinating the recruiting, admissions, orientation, and related activities provided by the school, as well as the…
Elaine Leigh

Associate Policy Researcher

Elaine W. Leigh (she/her) is an associate policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her research broadly examines policies and practices that address inequities in postsecondary and workforce transitions for historically excluded students. Recent areas of inquiry include understanding workforce…

Explore Our People »