State Launches College Value Index
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education, along with Indianapolis-based USA Funds and the Indiana Youth Institute, have launched what they’re calling the nation’s first comprehensive measure of college value. The Indiana College Value Index features profiles for all of Indiana’s public colleges and universities.
The state says each institution’s profile focuses on three main areas: completion, competency and career. The index includes data from the commission’s College Completion Report and Return on Investment Report, as well as information gathered from the Gallup-Indiana Alumni Survey and information provided by the colleges.
"We are the first state to measure college value in a way that goes beyond the numbers to show not just how well our campuses are doing but also how they can do better," said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. "The Indiana College Value Index does this by bringing together both quantitative and qualitative information, providing a more complete view of higher education performance and value."
USA Funds Executive Vice President Carol D’Amico says it is vital for students to have access to the necessary information in order to make well-informed decisions about where they want to go to college.
Some metrics are still under development and some campus value profiles do not include information on graduate satisfaction and experiences due to some colleges not participating in the Gallup-Indiana Survey. The commission says its goal is to have complete information for all campuses and partner over the next year with the Indiana Youth institute to gain input about the index in order to improve it.
You can learn more about the Indiana College Value Index by clicking here.