With the emergence of the Economic Mobility Index, Raj Chetty’s research through Opportunity Insights at Harvard University, and the forthcoming Carnegie Classification of higher education institutions, we understand far more than we used to about which institutions are contributing to the economic mobility of low income students. What we don’t know much about is which causal factors contribute to institutional success in supporting low income students or about how institutions transform a commitment to economic mobility into measurable mobility outcomes. Our research was focused on these central questions.
In partnership with the Kresge Foundation, Public Agenda developed case studies of six four-year colleges and universities with an exemplary track record of contributing to the economic mobility of low-income students. This initial set of institutions reflects the foundation’s priorities in support of public four year institutions of higher education and specific geographies (California, Michigan, Texas).
Researchers used data from Third Way’s Economic Mobility Index (EMI) to identify strong performance in one (or several) of the following contributing factors:
- Access
- Affordability (net cost)
- Post-graduation earnings
The EMI was used as the data source because of its inclusion of student debt as a factor in economic mobility for low income students. From an initial set of twelve institutions, the final six were selected for inclusion based on a variety of criteria including geographic location, proximity to one another, the type of degrees conferred (a polytechnical institution versus liberal arts college), and attention to the types of student populations served. Institutions include:
- University of California, Riverside (CA)
- California State University, Los Angeles (CA)
- University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley (TX)
- Texas A&M International University (TX)
- Wayne State University (MI)
- Ferris State University (MI)
After college and university presidents agreed to participate in the study, researchers held initial conversations with institutional leadership to better understand key strategies, approaches, implementation work, and timelines. This information, in addition to desk research and EMI data, enabled the development of a protocol for site visits and a list of potential participants and groups. Site visits included interviews and focus groups with senior leadership including the president and those with responsibility for recruitment, enrollment, and financial aid. Site visits also included meetings with institutional research, faculty, academic and co-curricular student advisors and others involved in building and implementing relevant programs and policies.
The case studies included in this toolkit reflect stories of institutional prioritization of low income students and their commitment to realizing those priorities through resource allocation, policies, and practice. The broader toolkit is a thematic analysis of the case studies, designed as a resource for institutions interested in broadening and deepening economic mobility efforts.
Public Agenda is committed to translating research for practical application for those seeking to make positive change. For more information about our research and for questions about support for implementation, please contact Maggie Grove, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer at [email protected].
