To highlight differences in student-to-counselor ratios, NACAC has prepared a series of state maps using school district-level data available from the US Department of Education. Research has shown that secondary school counselors play a critical role in facilitating the transition to postsecondary education. Unfortunately, the ability of public…

According to a survey by NACAC and IC3 (International Career and College Counseling) Institute, 88 percent of Indian high school counselors believe their administration understands the importance of a dedicated career and college counseling program, and 70 percent agree that their school culture is supportive of counseling. However, many…

Guided pathways is arguably the most widespread whole-college community college reform movement in decades. In this report, the authors present findings from a study on the scale of adoption of guided pathways practices across community and technical colleges in three states--Ohio, Tennessee, and Washington--where there are state-level efforts to…

This report summarises the results of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) investigating how preferences for vocational education and training (VET) courses are influenced by various forms of student support offerings. Three forms of support were included in the DCE: (1) health and welfare support; (2) career counselling and job search support; and…

In 2018-2019, the program's second federally funded year, GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Austin served a cohort of 7th-grade students (n = 2,536) across 11 middle schools. Nearly all GEAR UP students received support services relevant to college preparation. Evaluation findings suggest that students,…

This report is a support document accompanying "Drivers of Student Training Choices--A Focus on Student Support Services" (ED629801), which examines the influence of student support service offerings on students' choice of training provider and how they compare with other drivers of student choice such as course cost, delivery mode and…

The Higher Education Policy Institute polled 1,105 students via the National Union of Students (NUS) for their views on careers services and employment. The results have been published in this report. The results show a large majority of students want to see more higher education courses co-designed with employers. But there is also a large…

High school counselors play a vital role in helping students prepare for attending college. They are the link between students and families and institutions, providing counseling, information, and motivation to help students make it through their enrollment journeys. Along the way, they have to help students cope with a wide variety of challenges:…

Graduate student enrollment has become increasingly important for universities. At the same time, competition for graduate students has increased, and the way those students search for programs of study has changed dramatically in the digital era. How can your program adapt and reach its graduate enrollment goals? This benchmark survey report…

Advising is powerful because it attends to core elements of each student's success: setting academic goals based on transfer and/or career interests, developing an academic plan to attain those goals, and staying on track until those goals are met. Each of these big-picture tasks encompasses dozens of smaller ones which include: (1) Raising…

The diversity of the educational landscape is increasing; however, learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who experience discrimination or unequal treatment disproportionately underachieve in schools. Equality, equity and inclusion are fundamental principles of the European Union. They have also become key topics of the educational…

In spring 2020, the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) reported on the perspectives of higher education professionals at the onset of the pandemic. In the early days of rapid transition to remote instruction and student services, professionals who work with disabled students reported widespread barriers to access that exceeded…

Growing experimental evidence demonstrates that low-touch informational, nudge, and virtual advising interventions are ineffective at improving postsecondary educational outcomes for economically-disadvantaged students at scale. Intensive in-person college advising programs are a considerably higher-touch and more resource intensive strategy; some…

This report captures motivational data from students at the end of 2020--students who were in the thick of the pandemic and the pivot to online and hybrid learning, along with historic levels of social and economic upheaval. Starting strong is crucial to student retention. When entering students get off to a strong start, they are more likely to…

Rapid change became the norm in March 2020 when the wave of campus transitions began due to COVID-19. While some institutions started the move to remote education as early as February, others held off on transitions until May. Campuses faced another type of transition as plans for re-opening in the fall were underway amid the fluctuating reports…