Public Policy Reviews

IRHE is committed to action-oriented research highlighting urgent public policy issues that affect higher education — in states, the nation, and other countries. 

To this end, IRHE engages in selected public policy reviews to understand higher education performance and policy changes that drive performance, as well as encourage the free exchange of policy ideas and solutions about higher education performance. The purpose of the reviews is to better understand these policies and equip policymakers with new data and analyses from which to make more informed decisions.

The reviews look at a number of critical performance areas, including:

• Preparation for higher education
• Participation in postsecondary education
• Completion of certificates and awards
• Affordability for students and families
• Research productivity

Understanding these issues is a critical step towards identifying how to improve higher education performance within a particular state and subsequently realize the level of degree production required to compete in a global economy. The policy reviews improve our understanding of how states can improve degree attainment in the context of fiscal, demographic, and other challenges.