An education from California State University, Dominguez Hills results in greater upward mobility gains for its graduates, according to new rankings by The Economist magazine and The Brookings Institution.
The Economist’s rankings included 1,275 four-year, non-vocational colleges and were derived by analyzing the difference between expected earnings—as predicted from such variables as SAT scores, sex, race, college size, Pell eligibility and courses studied— to the Department of Education College Scorecard data of the actual median income of financial aid students 10 years after graduation.
The Brookings Institution’s report analyzed 1,666 four-year colleges to produce its value-added rankings, also using alumni earnings from the College Scorecard. Their predicted earnings model factored in much the same data as The Economist but weighted it differently, with more emphasis on market value of degrees offered, the percentage of graduates in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, graduation rate, and faculty salaries.
According to the Brookings Institution, the value-added measurement of a college is “not a measure of return on investment, but rather a way to compare colleges on a more equal footing, by adjusting for the relative advantages or disadvantages faced by diverse students pursing different levels of student across different local economies.”
CSUDH ranked 63rd, or in the 95th percentile, in The Economist study, with an alumni earnings $6,126 above expectation. The College Scorecard median earning of a CSUDH graduate was $42,800, based on 2011 data, compared to the expected earnings formula total of $36,674.
In the Brookings Institution findings, CSUDH had a value-add of 20.3 percent for a rank of 88th.
“These rankings by The Economist and The Brookings Institution illustrate that California State University, Dominguez Hills continues to fulfill the mission it was founded on more than 50 years ago – to provide a quality, comprehensive educational experience for all students and serve as a major transformational agent for our communities,” said University President Willie J. Hagan. “Adding value to our students adds value to our region.”
