EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS: In 2014 a group of 11 research institutions committed to graduating an additional 68,000 students over the next decade. Today they announced they’re on track to beat expectations. The University Innovation Alliance says its members are set to graduate an additional 100,000 students—despite declining enrollment numbers across the nation. UIA members have also increased the amount of degrees awarded to low-income students by three percentage points.
The UIA formed less than two years ago with the goals of producing more graduates from across the socioeconomic spectrum, sharing data and innovating together. If all other four-year public colleges and universities increased graduation rates at the same pace as UIA members, there would be an additional 1.3 million college graduates in the workforce, UIA Executive Director Bridget Burns said in a press release.
Today the group also announced an additional $3.85 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation and USA Funds.
