Ensuring postsecondary education is affordable for Kentuckians is a top priority of the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) and higher education institutions. Maintaining access to life-changing postsecondary credentials benefits both individuals and the state alike. This inaugural report on undergraduate student debt demonstrates that…

West Virginia's three state-funded medical schools enroll more medical students per capita than any other state in the country. Due to its large number of medical student slots, the state typically can offer all qualified West Virginians the opportunity to complete their medical education in the state. In the academic year of 2023-2024, 27 percent…

This report illustrates Kentucky's progress in reducing debt levels for undergraduate degree and credential completers at public postsecondary institutions, particularly over the last five years. These loan amounts are averages, and they are calculated in different ways (including and excluding students with no debt) and for different populations…

America's colleges and universities are at a crossroads. The number of schools closing their doors continues to grow driven by the declining number of students pursuing a bachelor's. This situation is expected to worsen because of a number of factors: (1) Starting in 2025 the U.S. will face the so-called "enrollment cliff," in which the…

College affordability is a significant factor in student access, retention, and completion. Tuition and fee rates are a component of affordability, as is the availability of financial aid programs from federal, state, institutional and private sources, among other factors. Strategically designed approaches to college affordability can better…

Using data from nearly 1.2 million Black SAT takers, we estimate the impacts of initially enrolling in an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) on educational, economic, and financial outcomes. We control for the college application portfolio and compare students with similar portfolios and levels of interest in HBCUs and non-HBCUs who…

Is law school worth it? A Juris Doctor (JD) offers high median earnings and a substantial earnings boost relative to a bachelor's degree in the humanities or social sciences--two of the more common fields of study that lawyers pursue as undergraduate students. However, graduates of most law schools carry substantial student loan debt, which dims…

Sixteen years ago, the Kalamazoo Promise went into effect guaranteeing full college scholarships to eligible graduates of the Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) district. The Kalamazoo Promise provided the model for a unique type of college scholarship program, one in which the allocation of funds is based not on merit or need, but on…

College affordability is a significant factor in student access, retention, and completion. Tuition and fee rates are a component of affordability, as is the availability of financial aid programs from federal, state, institutional and private sources, among other factors. Strategically designed approaches to college affordability can better…

Every year, the BC Student Outcomes Program collects feedback from former students who took post-secondary programs. Student feedback is essential to maintain quality and relevance in the education system. In 2023, over 24,400 former post-secondary students were surveyed. 90% of those surveyed were very satisfied or satisfied with the education or…

Research finds a weak causal relationship between student loan debt and homeownership. Still, less access to generational wealth among young Black adults is a root cause of higher student debt burden and a substantial barrier to accessing homeownership. The inability to repay debt, or to build wealth through homeownership, in turn, contributes to…

The "Code of Virginia" vests the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) with the responsibility to develop a statewide strategic plan that reflects statutory goals for higher education in the Commonwealth, identifies a coordinated approach to such state and regional goals, and emphasizes the future needs for higher…

Majoring in business typically pays off. While graduates' earnings and federal student loan debt vary by institution and degree level, the majority of business programs lead to median earnings that are roughly 10 times graduates' debt payments two years after program completion. "The Most Popular Degree Pays Off: Ranking the Economic Value of…

Policymakers enacted a series of reforms in the mid-2000s that significantly expanded benefits in the federal student loan program for students pursuing graduate degrees. These reforms allow students to borrow up to the full cost of attendance for their degrees and use an Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) program that offers loan forgiveness after 20…

President Biden's recent announcement regarding student debt relief has brought the issue to center stage across Pennsylvania and the U.S. Access to quality higher education is so important to Pennsylvania's individuals and families, yet the high cost of college in the state has both limited who has access to a good education and, for those…