Clear Outcomes
Institutions, employers, policymakers, and students all need access to clear education and employment outcomes data to make informed decisions.
By establishing comprehensive state systems that integrate and provide education, employment, and workforce data, states can create an invaluable resource that makes reliable and actionable data available to leaders, researchers, and the public.
By the numbers
U.S. states with postsecondary education systems participating in the U.S. Census Postsecondary Employment Outcomes project to report earnings and employment outcomes for graduates.
U.S. states that have enhanced wage record systems to include occupation and at least one additional key enhancement.
Why clear outcomes matter
A lack of information on education and employment outcomes — including earnings and career trajectories of alumni — can hinder students' ability to make critical decisions about their education and career goals. Selecting a program or institution and choosing a major are decisions that come with real consequences, and prospective students require reliable data to make informed decisions.
The same is true for institutions, employers, and policymakers. Data gaps limit their ability to design, improve, or invest in the programs that best support education and career success.
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Clear Outcomes: 6 questions for Strada's Jon Furr
By establishing comprehensive state systems that integrate and provide education, employment, and workforce data, states can create an invaluable resource that makes timely, accurate information available to higher education leaders, policymakers, and prospective students.
State data system elements
States already collect an array of data on education after high school and employment, but in most states, the data are too infrequently provided to the people who need them. These 10 critical elements contribute to the capacity of state data systems to strengthen the connection between education and opportunity.
How we support clear outcomes
Strada partners with states, institutions, policymakers, foundations, and other nonprofit organizations to improve education-to-employment data so individuals can make more informed decisions about college and workforce training.
Postsecondary Employment Outcomes Coalition
Based on the premise that postsecondary leaders and state officials can set effective, strategic policies only when they have access to detailed, reliable, and actionable data, the coalition uses postsecondary education enrollment data linked to U.S. Census records data to report detailed earnings and employment outcomes of college graduates.
Jobs and Employment Data Exchange
JEDx aims to support the adoption and implementation of data standards for jobs and employment records through new and modernized data tools. The initiative was launched by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the T3 Innovation Network.
How we measure progress
Students, institutions, employers, and policymakers need access to specific data — graduate earnings and career outcome information — to understand what their educational choices may mean for work, life, and income.
Strada developed the State Opportunity Index to help states enhance their ability to provide such data. Working closely with state leaders, we identified 10 critical elements that contribute to the capacity of state education-to-employment data systems. Taken together, these 10 elements provide a holistic framework for analysis and improvement. The 2024 State Opportunity Index showed that while all states are meeting the expectations of some of the 10 elements, there is still work to be done before all states fully develop and improve the accuracy and availability of education and employment data.
How a student chooses a college major is often the result of personal factors, such as interests, strengths, or education and career guidance.
President and CEO, Stephen Moret, provides a testimony during the “Strengthening WIOA: Improving Outcomes for America’s Workforce” hearing on March 5, 2025.
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