College Scorecard Metrics for Student Outcomes and Demographics

Most Recent Cohorts Scorecard Elements provides data on U.S. higher education institutions from the College Scorecard initiative. The dataset includes metrics on student demographics, graduation rates, debt, and test scores, sourced from data.wa.gov and last updated in March 2024.

Use Cases

• Predict median graduate debt (GRAD_DEBT_MDN10YR_SUPP) using institutional characteristics like locale (LOCALE) and program mix (PCIP04, PCIP19).
• Analyze demographic representation by comparing proportions of Hispanic (UGDS_HISP), White (UGDS_WHITE), and two or more races (UGDS_2MOR) students across institutions.
• Model graduation rates for four-year programs (C150_4_POOLED_SUPP) using inputs like ACT score percentiles (ACTWR75, ACTCM75) and Pell Grant recipient indicators (PBI).
• Identify geographic service areas by mapping institutions to their counties (Counties) and congressional districts (Congressional Districts).

Strengths

• Includes over 30 specific metrics per institution, covering demographics, outcomes, and costs.
• Provides data for multiple recent student cohorts, enabling temporal analysis.

Limitations

• Sample size and row count are unknown, limiting assessment of statistical power.
• Key data quality indicators like completeness, balance, and update frequency are unspecified.

Provenance

Source

data.wa.gov, hosting U.S. College Scorecard data.

Collection Method

Collected and published by the U.S. Department of Education as part of the College Scorecard transparency initiative.

Freshness

Last updated March 25, 2024.

Geography

United States, with institution-level location data (MapLocation, Counties).