What is a “good” education? How will you measure that?

It is a layered question that has multiple answers because it reflects values. Here is what the research says about higher education:

“The inaugural Gallup-Purdue Index found that it is not where you go to college but how you experience it that matters most. This analysis also shows that these “Big Six” experiences directly correlate to a student’s ability to graduate in four years, which can significantly reduce the cost of college:

• Having at least one professor who made them excited about learning.
• Feeling that professors cared about them as a person.
• Having a mentor who encouraged them to pursue goals and dreams.
• Working on a project that took a semester or more to complete.
• Having an internship or job that allowed them to apply what they were learning in the classroom.
• Being extremely active in extracurricular activities and organizations during college”

For the full report, click here.

You might think about Return on Investment (ROI)- there is a tool for that, too. Georgetown ranks 4500 US Colleges and Universities by ROI.

Whether your student is making a final decision or starting the search process, these are great questions for tours, admitted student days, or any other time you have contact with a campus.

The more you invest in the search process, the better the academic, social, and economic outcomes.