Researchers Share Data-Driven Insights Using IHEP’s Equitable Value Explorer

How do geography, institutional practices, and student characteristics influence earnings after college? IHEP’s Equitable Value Explorer, an interactive data visualization tool that compares post-college earnings across more than 4,000 colleges and universities, is helping researchers answer that question. Using a series of economic thresholds developed by the Postsecondary Value Commission, the tool measures the financial return institutions provide to students.  

On September 18th, IHEP and Trellis Strategies co-hosted, “Elevating Equitable Value: Investigating Economic Outcomes in Postsecondary Education,” a webinar showcasing how researchers are using the Equitable Value Explorer to investigate questions about the return on investment of higher education. Field-based researchers — each focused on distinct questions— highlighted how the tool is enhancing our understanding of postsecondary value and equipping researchers, institutional leaders, and policymakers with insights to better advocate for systemic changes that lead to more equitable outcomes.  

Building Comprehensive Datasets

The Equitable Value Explorer compiles data from the College Scorecard and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), making it a powerful resource for assessing economic outcomes in postsecondary education.  

Navi Dhaliwal, an economic analyst at the Research Institute at Dallas College, and his team used Equitable Value Explorer data to understand students’ economic outcomes at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). By supplementing the tool with state longitudinal data, the team filled gaps in publicly available datasets, enabling a richer understanding of earnings outcomes for Hispanic students across Texas. 

Angela Boatman, an associate professor from Boston College, identified disparities between rural-serving institutions (RSIs) and their urban and suburban counterparts. Building on prior research, her team used the Equitable Value Explorer and a specialized dataset to better understand postsecondary value among institutions serving a high proportion of students from rural areas.  

Sandra Barone, a senior research analyst at Trellis Strategies merged institutional-level data from the Equitable Value Explorer’s with student-level survey data. The Trellis team converted the survey responses into a measure of students’ financial well-being at the institutional level to develop new insights into how students’ financial well-being during their studies impacts their post-college earnings.  

“I really encourage other researchers to continue to find new ways to summarize student-level data at the institutional level,” Barone noted, highlighting the value of integrating diverse datasets. 

Identifying Inequitable Student Outcomes

Building comprehensive datasets is essential for identifying inequitable outcomes across different types of institutions and student populations, a recurring theme in the webinar discussion. Boatman’s research revealed that while RSIs tend to provide slightly lower economic returns, they also tend to be more affordable.  

“There’s an opportunity to dig into some of the gaps that we’ve observed, gaps that previously we might not have had the data to fully illuminate,” Boatman said.  

Similarly, Dhaliwal’s research increased awareness of the diversity and complexity of Hispanic student experiences. Disaggregating available outcomes data by gender revealed an $8,000-per-year gap in earnings between Hispanic men and women.  

Translating Research into Actionable Steps for Policymakers

Data-driven research into inequitable outcomes can spark critical conversations with policymakers at all levels. Barone’s team exemplifies how to bridge the gap between research and federal policy changes, leveraging their findings to advocate for need-based aid policies that cover the full cost of education—not just tuition. 

Dhaliwal’s team inspired similar conversations at their own institution. Their analysis revealed that significantly more Hispanic students at Dallas College were enrolling in degree programs with the lowest median earnings compared to those with the highest earnings. These data help administrators recognize that there is, “still work to do in terms of representation and recruitment into specific programs,” Dhaliwal noted. Such data-driven analyses can ultimately foster an educational environment where all students can thrive. 

Watch a recording of the full webinar:

To dive deeper, explore more insights from IHEP’s Elevating Equitable Value research series:  

• Research by the City University of New York’s Frederick Tucker revealed a strong link between faculty composition and student outcomes, particularly at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and colleges serving a large share of Pell Grant recipients.   

• A study from the American Institutes for Research found that community college students generally earn more than those with only a high school diploma, but institutions serving a higher percentage of underrepresented students tend to deliver a lower economic value.   

• A project from Wayne State University found public, four-year universities offered the highest economic return in Michigan, offering an earnings premium of over $22,000, while most other types of institutions in the state offered a smaller but still positive return. 

• Research from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities analyzed the economic returns at institutions participating in their Student Success Equity Intensive program.