Collectively, the measures here are intended to reflect differences in levels of postsecondary investment from the perspective of students in different demographic groups. While no single measure is perfect, each one attempts to capture an important dimension of postsecondary funding.
Most of the measures reflect differences in the types of institutions students attend. In these cases institutional averages are weighted by student enrollment by demographic group, then rolled up at the state or national level.
“Average Instructional Expenditures per Student” gets at the core activity that affects students, while “Total Expenditures per Student” captures the broader differences among the types of institutions, from community college to research university, that different students might attend.
“State and local funding per capita” captures differences in rates of access to postsecondary institutions as well as differences among those institutions. “Faculty salaries by student race/ethnicity” shows how students in different groups are likely taught by faculty or instructors who are paid at different rates. “Endowment per student” shows the long-term accumulation of assets, often over decades or centuries, that support institutions with different populations of students.
Two of the measures are based on student-level data. The measure of “High-cost bachelor’s degrees” captures, at least partially, the differences in investment across departments or colleges within as well as among institutions. “Public net tuition and fees” reflects the different prices students pay both within and among institutions, which may then tie into the levels of spending.
Average Instructional Expenditures per Student
Total Expenditures per Student
State and Local Funding per Capita
Faculty Salaries by Student Race/Ethnicity and Gender
Endowment per Student
Access to Higher-Cost Bachelor’s Degree Programs
Public Net Tuition and Fees
These measures should be considered working drafts designed to spur discussion and further investigation. Additional background on an earlier version of the first measure is included in an earlier post.
Feedback and suggestions for further research are welcome!