What Senior Surveys Miss About Student’s Postsecondary Pathways

Understanding students’ postsecondary education pathways after high school is essential for improving college preparation efforts and outcomes. Often this data is gathered by surveying graduating seniors or recent graduates, either directly or through a third-party vendor.

Unfortunately, these types of surveys can provide an incomplete and sometimes misleading picture. One of the most common reactions high schools express after seeing their first StudentTracker report is surprise. That’s because what students say they plan to do after high school does not always match what actually happens.

If your school is relying on survey responses to shape college readiness efforts, you may be making decisions based on incomplete information.

Three reasons graduate surveys don’t paint an accurate picture

1. Intention vs. reality

Graduate survey data capture student intentions not verified outcomes. A student may say they plan to enroll in college in the fall, but over the summer their plans can change. Often, actual postsecondary attendance rates can be lower — sometimes significantly lower — than graduate survey data suggest.

Survey results that overstate how many students actually go onto college can be problematic if your school is using students’ self-reported intentions as a college preparedness indicator. Our StudentTracker service helps close the gap by showing what really happened.

2. Low response rates

Optional surveys of graduating seniors often have low response rates. When only a small share of a class responds, the results may not accurately reflect the outcomes of the full graduating class.

StudentTracker uses data reported to the National Student Clearinghouse by nearly 3,600 colleges and universities nationwide that enroll 97% of postsecondary students. You can see whether your graduates enrolled, persisted, and completed a credential across a wide range of institution types, including public and private, two-year and four-year, in-state and out-of-state, and trade and vocational institutions. StudentTracker also provides insights into the postsecondary outcomes of your dual-enrolled students. 

3. Skewed responses

No news isn’t necessarily good news when it comes to surveying a student’s higher education plans. Students with uncertain plans may be less likely to respond, while those planning to attend college may be more likely to participate. That can distort the results and make college-going rates appear higher than they are. StudentTracker provides a more reliable picture by using verified enrollment and completion data from colleges and universities.

If your high school or district is using surveys to understand graduate outcomes, it may be missing important parts of the story. With StudentTracker, you can base decisions on verified enrollment and completion data — so your college preparation efforts are grounded in what students actually do after high school.

Learn more about StudentTracker and how you can use it to get the accurate data you need to improve your college preparation initiatives.