Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Nonprofit Launches Center to Boost Data-Driven Student Success Strategies

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/16/25

National nonprofit Complete College America (CCA) recently launched the Center for Leadership, Institutional Metrics, and Best Practices (CLIMB), according to a news release. CLIMB’s ultimate purpose is to help higher-education institutions use data-driven strategies to improve student outcomes by providing tools, frameworks, and support.

CLIMB will allow institutions to address graduation-rate challenges with the ability to track, analyze, and act on student success data. A 2022 report from Complete College America indicated that while on-time college-completion rates were rising, gaps based on race and ethnicity still persisted, as well as broader trends toward fewer students pursuing higher education.

“Data in higher education has been abundant, but underutilized,” said CCA President Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva. “With this new initiative, we’re helping institutions build capacity to move from data collection to data action—ensuring that the metrics colleges and universities track lead to the best outcomes for students and real, measurable progress in increasing college completion.”

According to the news release, CCA will gather colleges and universities to integrate performance metrics into strategic planning. It will provide them with the tools to track metrics like credit accumulation, retention, and gateway course performance while also providing guidance on how to use these metrics to improve student success.

“The last mile of data-driven decision-making is about ensuring that actionable insights reach those with the resources and influence to improve student outcomes,” said Charles Ansell, CCA’s vice president for research, policy, and advocacy. “This effort is not only about identifying the right metrics; it’s about integrating them into daily operations and the way that higher education professionals and educators do their work. Our ultimate goal is to use data to build campus systems that are both accountable and responsive to student needs.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Photo credit: Elkus Manfredi Architects

    University of Virginia Selects Design-Build Team for New Residential Complex

    The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., recently announced that it has selected a design-build team for a new upper-class residential development on campus, according to a news release. Capstone Development Partners—in partnership with Elkus Manfredi Architects and the Hoar Construction/Hourigan construction team—will move forward with the three-building, 310,000-square-foot housing facility.

  • blurry image capturing students navigating crowded hallways between classes

    How Human Behavior Data Is Reshaping Campus Facilities Management

    The ebb and flow of students, faculty, and administrators across a campus have a larger impact on maintenance, cleaning, and sustainability than many realize.

  • New City School

    Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Transforming New City School

    When New City School in St. Louis suffered catastrophic flood damage in July 2022, the event could have marked a serious setback for the 100-year-old institution. Instead, it became a forward-looking opportunity.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.