Toward A New Vision of Excellence

There is a growing number of colleges and universities committed to a new vision of excellence in higher education.

article-cropped January 17, 2025 by James Kvaal
Black female college graduate wearing a graduation toga and cap and holding a diploma

Colleges and universities are in the headlines due to hot button debates over student debt and campus climates. But a little-noticed sideshow may end up the most important transformation of them all: the growing number of colleges and universities committed to a new vision of excellence in higher education.

As Under Secretary of Education, I’ve been fortunate to visit colleges and universities across the country, and I have seen a new breed emerging. They exist in red states, blue states, and purple states. They include research universities, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and every other form of postsecondary institution. And they describe their mission in many ways: equity, upward mobility, value, workforce development.

What they share is an ambition to enroll as many students as possible and propel them to good-paying careers. Their vision of excellence is based on expanding opportunity, not granting it selectively to a chosen few. They keep costs down rather than run up their endowment. They embrace data and accountability to prove their worth, rather than rest on intangible reputations.

This week, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona invited seven of these colleges and universities to Washington D.C. as the inaugural class of Postsecondary Success Recognition honorees. All seven schools share the same commitment to opportunity, have demonstrated results in public data, and convinced independent peer reviewers of their compelling student success strategies.

For example, Hostos Community College in the South Bronx — one of the poorest areas in the country — provides child care and other supports to meet students’ basic needs. The University of Texas at Arlington’s personalized career counseling and work-based learning demonstrably boosts students’ economic mobility.

Each of these schools is changing the trajectory of their students’ lives, as well as their families and communities. They are also challenging the traditional view of prestige in higher education. They are turning traditional national rankings upside-down by proving the transformational power of a vision of college excellence rooted in opportunity and upward mobility.

As Secretary Cardona put it, “Imagine a world where schools with the most Pell Grant recipients are ranked highest, where ‘prestige’ is defined by preparing graduates well to enter the workforce and lead fulfilling lives and careers.”

President Biden has accelerated the work of these colleges and encouraged more to emulate them.

To help colleges serving the most low-income students, President Biden increased Pell Grants by $900, the largest increase in a decade. He challenged states to make community college tuition-free, and states from New Mexico to Colorado to Massachusetts have answered his call. He fixed broken debt relief programs, like Public Service Loan Forgiveness, to discharge 5 million borrowers’ loans. And he invested $222 million to connect students with housing, childcare, mental health services, nutrition, and other help they badly need.

President Biden also made large direct investments in community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and minority-serving institutions. Students at these schools often don’t receive their fair share of funding, despite needing more support, and may be less likely to graduate as a result.

The Administration invested more than $19 billion in HBCUs alone, while challenging states to fund them equally. The American Rescue Plan helped colleges stay open, faculty and staff stay employed, and more than 18 million students navigate the pandemic.

Third, the Administration celebrated colleges’ successes and provided seed funding to accelerate and expand them. When a college boosts its graduation rate, it not only creates a blueprint for others to follow – it strikes another blow against the old idea that colleges need to “weed out” students who are not “college material.”

Secretary Cardona launched the new Postsecondary Student Success Grants to help underfunded colleges test and scale up new approaches to increase graduation rates. And at five “Raise the Bar” summits, we reform leaders like CUNY, Georgia State, and Cal State shared lessons learned and challenged each other to do even better. One example: Northern Virginia Community College’s ADVANCE program offers 100 structured pathways aligned to nearby George Mason majors.

To be sure, there is not yet a consensus within higher education about these new values. While some wealthy universities are taking steps like admitting more transfer students and reducing tuition for low- and middle-class students, others continue to cling to the values that have earned them high rankings by media outlets.

Our national six-year postsecondary graduation rate has increased an eye-catching 8 percentage points in the past 10 years, but it is still only 61 percent. Some educators defend low graduation rates by citing the academic and financial challenges of their students, despite growing proof that students can succeed at much higher rates.

Even worse, some political actors are seeking to chill campus efforts to ensure all students feel welcome on their campus or even the very idea of working toward equity. They are turning their backs on some of our country’s greatest strengths, including our diversity and commitment to equal opportunity.

Still, I’m encouraged by the growing cadre of committed leaders. We are making progress toward giving Americans from all backgrounds the help they need to earn a degree or career certificate at a cost they can afford. If they succeed, we will all enjoy greater economic and national security.

Federal policy over the next few years can accelerate that progress or throw up roadblocks. For the sake of our students, I hope it’s the former.

James Kvaal is the U.S. Under Secretary of Education