While costs associated with higher education are increasing, so too is the pressure for institutions to present meaningful insight on the value their degree and certificate programs provide to graduates and the economy. While this is partly to find a competitive advantage, it’s also to present stakeholders (students, parents, law makers, employers, colleagues, accreditation boards, etc.) insight on potential income and employment opportunities following graduation. Plus, outcomes data can help re-shape other important areas such as curriculum development and advisement. Unfortunately, institutions struggle to obtain the real data necessary to help complete the strategic analysis and evaluations stakeholders need most. This is often due to reliance on clumsy, unreliable methods for gathering graduate data, including social media searches, outbound call campaigns, state-specific databases, and self-reported survey responses. Such methods can yield data that’s dated or  inaccurate.

Graduate Outcome Metrics from Equifax offers a better way to help solve the higher education data dilemma. By accessing the largest repository of real, up-to-date nationwide payroll, income, and credit data from Equifax, higher education professionals can get the cohort data needed to complete research initiatives. Unlike traditional or "old school" graduate data collection methods, the information you receive from Equifax is both current and free from self-reporting falsehoods. And, once your institution chooses the reporting attributes you’re after, the data can be delivered within weeks. That means you’re closer than ever before to providing stakeholders with the insights they require.
 

What pieces of data are you lacking? With your inititaives laid out, we can help you solve your data dilemma.

Consider starting with our four most-requested, core reports in aggregated format:

• Median Income by Major or Program
• Graduate Residence by State
• Median Income, In-State vs. Out-of-State
• Median Income by Industry 

Next, add the additional reporting attributes you're seeking for comparison. Examples of institution-defined attributes include: ACT Score, Campus, CIP Code, College, Date of Birth, Degree, Degree Level, Financial Aid, Gender, GPA, Internship Completed, Major,  Minor, Pell Eligibility, Program, SAT Score, Student Designation, Student Withdrawn, Transfer In, Transfer Out.