Get the Answers You Need from the High School Benchmarks Report

When trying to improve student outcomes after graduation, high schools often ask questions like these:

• How well are we preparing our students to get into college?
• How well are we preparing our students to succeed once they’re in college?
• How do our school’s postsecondary education rates compare to other schools with similar populations?
• For our school’s student population, what should our postsecondary education-related goals be? In other words, what constitutes a high level of performance?

The annual High School Benchmarks report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is an information goldmine for high schools.

The High School Benchmarks report provides current data on high school graduates’ postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion outcomes. These data serve as the most relevant benchmarks for monitoring and evaluating progress in assisting students in making the transition from high school to college and earning a credential in a timely manner.

With this information, high schools can answer questions, like:

• How does income correlate to college enrollment, persistence, and graduation? Do students from higher-income schools have better postsecondary education outcomes, and if so, by how much?
• What are the college enrollment, persistence, and graduation average rates for high schools with a high percentage of minority students, and how does that compare to rates for high schools with a low percentage of minority students?
• How do college outcomes differ among high school graduates from urban, suburban, and rural locales?
• How does your school’s performance compare to schools with a similar demographic makeup?

The High School Benchmarks report enables high schools to conduct an apples-to-apples comparison between their school’s college enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates and those of similar schools across the country. The outcomes data in the downloadable excel appendix is also formatted in percentile rankings, allowing schools to assess their performance relative to that of similar schools.

Combining accurate, reliable data on your students’ postsecondary outcomes available through our StudentTracker service with the nationwide context provided by the High School Benchmarks report provides the insight you need to make informed decisions. With a clearer picture of student outcomes, you can better support students as they continue their education after high school.

Learn more about StudentTracker and how you can use it to determine the postsecondary success of your students. And read our latest High School Benchmarks report.