Clearinghouse Logo Annual Impact Report

Clearinghouse Logo Annual Impact Report

Our Impact: Research

The National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center™ continued to play a central role in institutions’ ability to understand the state of higher education. Over the past two years, our Research Center has been reporting in near real-time on the pandemic’s effect on higher education enrollment, transfer, and more providing critical information to institutions. By understanding the overall trends in higher education and comparing it to their own student data, institutions can gain valuable insights to help increase student success in the post-COVID environment.

In addition, our Research Center has been evolving and expanding its activities to meet the growing demand for its reports and insights, as well as address the need for data and analytics to better reflect equity considerations.

Providing crucial information during a challenging time for education

“COVID-19: Stay Informed with the Latest Enrollment Information” report series

We have continued to publish our complete annual report series. We have also devoted significant resources to the new COVID-19 “rapid response” reporting our Research Center initiated in 2020 that informed schools and the public about the pandemic’s impact.

Our “Stay Informed” report series was the first to look at real-time enrollments as they rolled in and to understand that enrollments weren’t bouncing back in fall 2021 but instead enrollment declines were getting worse. This timely information was critical for learners and the broader education and workforce communities.

Register to listen to an overview of our final two-year COVID-19 summary report and insights from our expert panel on implications of the report’s findings.

 

“COVID-19: Stay Informed with the Latest Enrollment Information” report series

We have continued to publish our complete annual report series. We have also devoted significant resources to the new COVID-19 “rapid response” reporting our Research Center initiated in 2020 that informed schools and the public about the pandemic’s impact.

Our “Stay Informed” report series was the first to look at real-time enrollments as they rolled in and to understand that enrollments weren’t bouncing back in fall 2021 but instead enrollment declines were getting worse. This timely information was critical for learners and the broader education and workforce communities.

Register to listen to an overview of our final two-year COVID-19 summary report and insights from our expert panel on implications of the report’s findings.

     

     

    Meeting the Growing Need for Expanded Learner Insights and Greater Equity in Education

    Advancing equity in data and analytics

    In October 2021, the Clearinghouse created an Equity in Research and Analytics unit, dedicated to promoting principles of equitable, unbiased, data collection and analytics. Our goal is to be as transparent as possible about the data that we are using, acknowledging historical inequities in the data and eliminating them, when possible.

    Report using PDP data

    The Research Center released its first report using national data from the Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP). It investigates early success indicators using course-level credit information. The report shows a correlation between the number of credits a student completes in the first semester and that student’s chance of completing a degree on time.

    Engaging our reports’ broader audience

    Validating our reports’ value in this shifting climate, our Research Center has responded to an increase in interest and inquiries from reporters, education leaders, and the public regarding our reports. To respond effectively and engage with our audience, we have expanded our report publication activities:

    • We are providing regular updates to our constituents, including advance notice of report publication dates.
    • We have increased our report penetration and relevance by releasing major reports through webinars featuring expert panelists who discuss how educational and policy leaders can use the data insights from the Research Center’s publications as they seek to address the needs of students and institutions during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Through efforts like these, the Clearinghouse is responding to our increasing position as a trusted strategic partner with data science expertise.

     

    Advancing equity in data and analytics

    In October 2021, the Clearinghouse created an Equity in Research and Analytics unit, dedicated to promoting principles of equitable, unbiased, data collection and analytics. Our goal is to be as transparent as possible about the data that we are using, acknowledging historical inequities in the data and eliminating them, when possible.

    Report using PDP data

    The Research Center released its first report using national data from the Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP). It investigates early success indicators using course-level credit information. The report shows a correlation between the number of credits a student completes in the first semester and that student’s chance of completing a degree on time.

     

    Engaging our reports’ broader audience

    Validating our reports’ value in this shifting climate, our Research Center has responded to an increase in interest and inquiries from reporters, education leaders, and the public regarding our reports. To respond effectively and engage with our audience, we have expanded our report publication activities:

    • We are providing regular updates to our constituents, including advance notice of report publication dates.
    • We have increased our report penetration and relevance by releasing major reports through webinars featuring expert panelists who discuss how educational and policy leaders can use the data insights from the Research Center’s publications as they seek to address the needs of students and institutions during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Through efforts like these, the Clearinghouse is responding to our increasing position as a trusted strategic partner with data science expertise.

    Continuing to conduct industry-leading research

    Our Research Center has also continued to publish its full slate of yearly and quarterly reports. Education leaders nationwide depend on these reports to better adapt and plan on how to deliver educational opportunities for learners they serve, particularly the most vulnerable learner populations. Our reports include:

    Educational institutions and organizations nationwide depend on Clearinghouse data to help them improve the lives of learners. Read our case studies to find out how learners are benefitting.

     

    Watch a presentation from Rick Torres, President/CEO of the National Student Clearinghouse, at the 2022 Community College National Legislative Summit.
    The Clearinghouse’s work has been featured in many nationally recognized publications and media outlets over the past year. Highlights include:
    Our Research Center has also continued to publish its full slate of yearly and quarterly reports. Education leaders nationwide depend on these reports to better adapt and plan on how to deliver educational opportunities for learners they serve, particularly the most vulnerable learner populations. Our reports include:

    Educational institutions and organizations nationwide depend on Clearinghouse data to help them improve the lives of learners. Read our case studies to find out how learners are benefitting.

    Watch a presentation from Rick Torres, President/CEO of the National Student Clearinghouse, at the 2022 Community College National Legislative Summit.

    The Clearinghouse’s work has been featured in many nationally recognized publications and media outlets over the past year. Highlights include:

    Understanding education attainment gaps through research development

    The Clearinghouse’s Research Development and Philanthropy team undertakes custom research projects for educational institutions, leading foundations, state and federal government agencies, and other organizations seeking to learn the educational patterns and outcomes of the cohorts that they study using our unique data ecosystem. Our work helps them better understand and ultimately improve learner outcomes, such as:

    • Enrollment, persistence, and mobility patterns and their relation to college completion
    • Influence of outside programs on college attendance and completion
    • Student performance measured against national benchmarks or other established metrics

    Read samples of our custom research projects:

      > Read the latest Clearinghouse press releases and news.

      Understanding education attainment gaps through research development

      The Clearinghouse’s Research Development and Philanthropy team undertakes custom research projects for educational institutions, leading foundations, state and federal government agencies, and other organizations seeking to learn the educational patterns and outcomes of the cohorts that they study using our unique data ecosystem. Our work helps them better understand and ultimately improve learner outcomes, such as:

      • Enrollment, persistence, and mobility patterns and their relation to college completion
      • Influence of outside programs on college attendance and completion
      • Student performance measured against national benchmarks or other established metrics

      Read samples of our custom research projects:

        > Read the latest Clearinghouse press releases and news.

        Read more about

        Our Story

        Find out more about

        Our Future Plans

        Meet

        Our Team

        ​Together, we can continue to enable learner success

        For nearly three decades, the Clearinghouse has worked in partnership with educational institutions and organizations nationwide that have provided the collaboration and support to help us grow our service mission and help your grantees fulfill their education-related goals.

        The Clearinghouse’s high-impact initiatives can maximize the philanthropic yield of your organization’s investments and contribute to the collective impact that the Clearinghouse, along with its grantees and partners, has on learners’ lives nationwide.

        Because we make it easier and simpler for thousands of colleges, universities, high schools, and educational organizations to better serve their learners, the Clearinghouse can — through our services — enable your organization to amplify your impact across the education and workforce communities and, most importantly, on the lives of millions of learners.

        Find out how the Clearinghouse can partner with and enable your organization to make a difference in the lives of learners who will shape our world tomorrow.

        Contact us today.