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You Can Change Higher Education for the Better

Public leaders cannot blindly trust that America’s colleges and universities properly serve taxpayers and students in the absence of careful oversight. ACTA’s thoughtful analysis and understanding of best practices can help policymakers and higher education leaders be effective in their crucial roles.

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Each year, ACTA surveys every public, four-year college and university in the nation on 10 measures of academic quality and cost-effectiveness. Contact us for more information on how you can support public higher education in your state!
Percentages are calculated by dividing what institutions report to IPEDS as “Published in-state tuition and fees” by the state median household income reported by the American Community Survey. To calculate percentages, dollar values are inflation-adjusted using the CPI-U-RS annual average. Values are based on weighted averages using undergraduate enrollment (“Reported full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate enrollment”) so that schools that serve a larger percentage of students within the state contribute more to the state’s average. Higher rankings correspond with lower percentages.
Spending amounts are calculated using what institutions report to IPEDS as “institutional support” expenses, or those for the “day-to-day operational support of the institution.” Institutional support commonly includes costs for executive management, legal departments, fiscal operations, public relations, and development. To calculate administrative spending on a per-student basis, the total state spending is divided by the “Full-time equivalent enrollment (Fall enrollment derivation)” variable reported in IPEDS. Higher rankings correspond with lower amounts of per-student spending.

[Note: Some institutions that operate multiple campuses choose to report spending data in a single record (usually the main campus). In these rare cases, we divided the total spending by all students within the system, even students at schools outside of our survey, to account for the total per-student spending.]
The Core Curriculum ranking is determined using ACTA’s What Will They Learn?® (WWTL) project. WWTL grades colleges and universities on an “A”–“F” scale based on how many of the following seven core subjects they require in their general education programs: Composition, Literature, (intermediate) Foreign Language, U.S. Government or History, Economics, Mathematics, and Natural Science. To calculate a state’s average, the Core Curriculum ranking converts the WWTL grades to numerical values using the standard college GPA system (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, etc.). Values are weighted by undergraduate enrollment so that schools that serve a larger percentage of students within the state contribute more to the state’s average. Higher state rankings correspond with higher average GPAs.
The Speech Code ranking is based on the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s (FIRE) Spotlight Database, which assigns a “red light,” “yellow light,” or “green light” rating to institutions based on the extent to which their policies restrict free speech. To calculate a state’s average, the Speech Code ranking converts FIRE’s ratings to numerical values (1= “red light,” clear and substantially restrictive; 2= “yellow light,” some limited restrictions; 3 = “green light,” no serious restrictions). Values are weighted by undergraduate enrollment so that schools that serve a larger percentage of students within the state contribute more to the state’s average. Institutions in ACTA’s survey that are not rated by FIRE are assigned a null rating so as not to affect a state’s average. Moreover, the Speech Code ranking is reflective of institutions’ written policies, not necessarily their practices. Higher rankings correspond with higher average values.
The 4-Year Graduation Rate ranking uses data drawn from the NCES’ College Navigator website for first-time, full-time freshmen pursuing bachelor’s degrees. The state ranking is created by averaging each school’s graduation rate weighted by undergraduate enrollment.

Florida

There is no better way to support public higher education than through informed, engaged governance. By reviewing how your state performs on these 10 key measures of academic quality and cost-effectiveness, you can pursue targeted reforms to improve higher education accessibility, efficiency, and excellence based on your state’s unique needs.

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Michigan

There is no better way to support public higher education than through informed, engaged governance. By reviewing how your state performs on these 10 key measures of academic quality and cost-effectiveness, you can pursue targeted reforms to improve higher education accessibility, efficiency, and excellence based on your state’s unique needs.

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Virginia

There is no better way to support public higher education than through informed, engaged governance. By reviewing how your state performs on these 10 key measures of academic quality and cost-effectiveness, you can pursue targeted reforms to improve higher education accessibility, efficiency, and excellence based on your state’s unique needs.

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POLICYMAKERS
TOOLKIT
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Invest in Knowledge to Support Public Higher Education

Higher education across the nation is under scrutiny. Publicly funded colleges and universities are particularly vulnerable, as they represent a massive investment by state taxpayers. Many concerned Americans question the return on this investment, and public confidence in higher education has fallen every year since 2015. The diversity of institutions means that no single policy can apply everywhere. State legislators must work together with trustees and local stakeholders to assess the issues their colleges and universities are facing.
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MEASURE YOUR IMPACT

Measure the Impact of Runaway Spending

Policymakers must make the efficient use of public resources a top priority so that students across the country have access to a quality college education at an affordable price. Students and taxpayers deserve to know whether the colleges and universities they finance provide an adequate return on investment.

In The Cost Of Excess, ACTA examined nine years of data from over 1,500 private and public four-year institutions across the country. We found that increases in administrative spending—continuing even through challenging economic times—drove tuition hikes while doing little to improve graduation rates. The report offers guidance to help lawmakers ensure that public funds benefit students first.

Promote Innovation by Reforming Quality Assurance

The college accreditation system is broken. Originally intended to ensure that federal funds flowed to quality educational programs, its antiquated processes discourage innovation while failing to protect students. A broad, bipartisan consensus agrees that legislative action is overdue. In Accreditation on the Edge, ACTA outlines how Congress can reform quality assurance for the 21st century.

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ACTA’s quarterly newsletter provides policymakers with the latest news, analyses, and data to keep up to date on the latest trends in higher education.

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WHO WE ARE

Launched in 1995, we are the only organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives an intellectually rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.

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