Questions like “Is college worth the expense? If so, for whom? Which colleges? What are the job prospects for various majors?” are controversial in part because it’s so hard to find accurate data. Senators Ron Wyden and Marco Rubio explain:
In order to bridge the data gap, we introduced the Student Right to Know Before You Go Act, which would make the complete range of comparative data on colleges and universities easily accessible to the public online and free of charge by linking student-level academic data with employment and earnings data.
For the first time, students, and policy makers, would be able to accurately compare — down to the institution and specific program of study — graduation and transfer rates, frequency with which graduates go on to pursue higher levels of education, student debt and post-graduation earnings and employment outcomes. Such a linkage is the best feasible way to create this data-rich environment.
Read the whole thing.
Related: Why is Higher Ed Reform Inevitable?, Education or Reputation: A New Look at Top-Ranked Liberal Arts Colleges