HEA Group Partners with ACCJC on Strategic Use of Program-Level ROI Data
Shaping the Future of Higher Education Through Economic Mobility and Student Outcomes
January 2026
The HEA Group is proud to have worked with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges' (ACCJC's) on its new framework highlighting how program specific outcomes offer a more precise and actionable understanding of how individual fields of study contribute to students’ long-term economic mobility.
“The HEA Group served as an integral partner in shaping the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges' (ACCJC's) new white paper, Leveraging Program-Level Data to Strengthen Student Outcomes: A Framework for ACCJC Institutions, offering the Commission's perspective on the growing importance of program-level return on investment (ROI) data in shaping the future of higher education. The HEA Group's focus on economic mobility and high-quality outcomes—regardless of field of study—aligns with ACCJC's vision of providing high-quality, affordable, and workforce-aligned postsecondary opportunities for millions of students and their families.” – Mac Powell, ACCJC President
About the White Paper
The white paper offers the ACCJC's perspective on the growing importance of program-level return on investment (ROI) data in shaping the future of higher education. This framework empowers institutions to make evidence-based decisions that directly affect student success and institutional sustainability. Building on ACCJC's 2025 integration of an institutional ROI metric into its Student Achievement Dashboards, the paper explains why programmatic ROI is emerging as a critical tool for transparency, student success, and public accountability.
Key Components
The white paper:
Highlights key federal data sources for program-level analysis
Outlines how colleges can use program-level outcomes to inform strategic decision-making and improve programs
Situates this work within the shifting national policy landscape, including new outcomes-based expectations under federal law
Metrics that Matter
Program-level data analysis transforms an institution's impact on both regional economic benefits and student return on investment—metrics that matter deeply to students, families, and communities.
Four Key Recommendations for Institutional Leaders
To help institutions make meaningful use of available data and prepare for a strengthened federal accountability framework, ACCJC offers four recommendations:
Build Data Capacity to integrate program-level earnings data with local labor-market information.
Conduct Program Assessments to identify high-ROI and at-risk programs and review student employment outcomes.
Engage Faculty, Career Resource Centers, and Employers to ensure curriculum relevance and strengthen career-readiness pathways.
Enhance Transparency by sharing program-level outcomes with students, communities, and other partners.
Our Commitment
Resources
At the HEA Group, we remain committed to advancing economic mobility and high-quality outcomes for all students, regardless of their field of study. This work with ACCJC reflects our shared vision of creating transparent, accountable, and workforce-aligned postsecondary pathways that benefit millions of students and their families.
