Indicator: Selection of a well-matched postsecondary institution

What to know about measurement

This indicator requires linking K–12 and postsecondary records to determine where a student enrolled in college. Individual-level data on high school students’ postsecondary enrollment can be obtained through state longitudinal data systems and the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). The NSC receives student-level postsecondary enrollment records from participating institutions on a regular basis and links high school and postsecondary records for districts or states that participate in its High School Tracker service. In 2020, 14 percent of all high schools in the U.S., representing about 24 percent of high school graduates, participated in the High School Tracker service. Postsecondary institutions reporting to the NSC capture approximately 97 percent of all postsecondary enrollment in Title IV degree-granting institutions; however, some types of institutions are less likely to report to the NSC, especially private two-year colleges and for-profit institutions.^v State higher education departments may have direct access to enrollment records for in-state colleges and may supplement these data with records from the NSC to capture out-of-state enrollment. Currently, 33 states link K–12 and postsecondary records as part of their state longitudinal data systems.

To determine whether the institution where a student enrolled is a “match,” we recommend using institutional-level graduation rates reported in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) for all Title IV degree-granting institutions. These data can be used to compare the graduation rates of the institution where the student enrolled to the graduation rates of the other institutions where the student was admitted. Because several factors should inform whether a college is a good “match” for a student—not just the institution’s graduation rate—we recommend allowing for a 10-percentage-point difference between the graduation rate of the institution where the student enrolled and the highest graduation rate among the institutions where the student was admitted. This threshold is used by Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) schools (see the callout box above for more information on the KIPP approach).

We recommend basing match on institutional graduation rates for students with background characteristics similar to the student in question (for example, students of color or those from low-income households). IPEDS reports institutional graduation rates by gender, race and ethnicity, and Pell Grant receipt. However, it is worth noting that graduation rates in IPEDS are based on full-time, first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students, and therefore do not include part-time and transfer students. Although the NSC collects individual-level completion records, it does not report institutional-level graduation rates publicly, so IPEDS is still the best source of graduation rates for all postsecondary institutions in the country.^vi Schools and states should use the more accurate rates from their state longitudinal data system if available.

We acknowledge that there are several emerging definitions of “college match” in the field that have varying benefits and limitations. Our recommended definition and measure leverage those used by KIPP, which are not based on students’ academic qualifications, but rely instead on the colleges where the student was admitted. Another approach that is not based on students’ academic qualifications, used by the Vela Institute, determines students’ choice set based on nearby colleges with similar selectivity levels as the college where the student enrolled. An advantage of our recommended metric is that it is relatively straightforward to operationalize compared to definitions researchers have used, which require statistical or geospatial analysis. A disadvantage is that it can be applied only at the enrollment stage, whereas more complex calculations allow match to be assessed at the earlier application and admission stages, when it is also possible for students to undermatch. However, research with KIPP Northern California found that high rates of undermatch in enrollment can occur among students from low-income households and students of color even when there is limited undermatch in their applications and admissions—namely, although 97 percent of recent graduates applied to at least one well-matched postsecondary institution and 94 percent were admitted to least one well-matched postsecondary institution, only 60 percent eventually enrolled in a well-matched postsecondary institution.