The Strategic Use of Data in High-Performing Colleges

With the dramatically increasing capabilities of information technology, the effective use of data has become critical in higher education. Nevertheless, extant literature on how top-performing institutions foster data-based decision making is limited. We examined how institutions with higher-than-predicted graduation rates use data in decision-making. Site visits were conducted with in-depth interviews and focus groups at 5 institutions with 172 participants. Recurrent themes included: 1) senior leadership’s embrace of data, 2) emphasis on data relevance and its accessibility, and 3) strategic use of data. The findings may be helpful to policymakers and practitioners seeking effective ways to improve college graduation rates.