Public Research Universities Increase Low-Income Graduates by Nearly 25 Percent

October 11, 2017

Share this

Title: Public Research Universities Increase Low-Income Graduates by Nearly 25 Percent, Highlighting Impact of Collaboration at Scale

Author: University Innovation Alliance

Date: Sept. 25, 2017

Three years ago, the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), which includes 11 universities across United States, set a goal to graduate an additional 68,000 undergraduates by 2025, with at least half of those students coming from low-income families.

The alliance recently reported that since 2014, the total number of undergraduate degrees awarded by UIA members has increased by 9.2 percent from 79,170 to 86,436, and the number of low-income graduates has increased by 24.7 percent. Alliance members are expected to exceed their attainment goals, with an additional 94,000 graduates by 2025. UIA recently announced its fourth scaling project to provide students at member universities with completion grants to help ensure that potential graduates aren’t derailed by financial challenges.

In an article on the results, Inside Higher Ed wrote that the universities focused on different aspects to fulfill the goal. For example, the University of California, Riverside concentrated on completion and degree-attainment, while other universities—like Ohio State—focused more on data analytics, advising, career services for students and emergency aid.

To read the full article on the UIA website, please click here.


If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, please contact us.

Keep Reading

chairs in a classroom

Where Have All the Low-Income Students Gone?

Since 2008, an intensive national campaign has sought to boost the number of college graduates. But low-income students are now actually much less likely to enroll in college immediately after high school than they were seven years ago, despite all of the efforts to increase their post-secondary participation. ACE’s Terry Hartle and Chris Nellum discuss this surprising and deeply troubling trend.

November 25, 2015

Richmond Joins Effort to Recruit, Graduate More Lower-income Students

The University of Richmond is among the growing number of ACE member institutions participating in the American Talent Initiative, a program dedicated to substantially expanding opportunity and access for low- and moderate-income students. President Ronald Crutcher discusses the importance of committing to the ATI.

January 13, 2017

The Other 90 Percent: Global Competence for All

In the increasingly globalized world of the 21st century, colleges and universities are recognizing the need to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to live and work across borders. The big problem, however, is that in the United States, few students ever have this type of experience. Robin Helms looks at the options to give students international experiences beyond study abroad.

November 16, 2015