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Introduction to the Postsecondary Enrollment Outcomes Playbook

Postsecondary Enrollment Playbook: Chapter 1

Explainer

Communities across the country recognize that supporting students beyond high school is critical to future success — for young people and for the long-term health of the economy. In a rapidly changing world, ensuring that all students have access to meaningful postsecondary options is no longer optional; it’s essential.

This playbook is designed to help educators, community leaders and partners increase postsecondary enrollment — defined as students enrolling in two- or four-year colleges, career and technical education programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials, registered apprenticeships, military service or entry into the skilled trades. These options all share a common goal: preparing students for careers that offer at least a living wage and a pathway to economic mobility.

With 70% of U.S. jobs expected to require education or training beyond high school by 2031, boosting postsecondary enrollment is a powerful lever for improving individual opportunity and community well-being (CEW, 2021). Higher enrollment and completion rates are associated with lower unemployment, increased civic engagement, stronger tax bases and better health outcomes.

To do this effectively, community leaders need evidence-based insights on what drives young people to stay on track for postsecondary enrollment, but accessing this information can be challenging. Leaders often spend valuable time conducting research when they could be engaging with their communities. Consider three real examples:

• An organization is launching a new college enrollment campaign and needs a comprehensive understanding of the key factors that influence student enrollment.

• A cross-sector group of educators, employers and community leaders is convening to identify concrete, evidence-based strategies to support students in successfully transitioning from high school to postsecondary pathways that lead to a living wage.

• A city planning group working to boost local employment is meeting with business leaders and needs clear research on how improving postsecondary enrollment rates can help build a stronger, more skilled workforce.

This playbook serves as a comprehensive guide to the latest research and best practices on postsecondary enrollment. It equips community leaders with the tools to identify opportunities, co-design effective strategies with their communities and build support for collective investment ensuring young people can launch successfully into adulthood.

The playbook is organized around 12 essential questions that help communities understand their starting point and identify potential focus areas. Each question aligns to research-based topics that support postsecondary enrollment rates and offers a menu of possible indicators to track, as well as practices and policies to implement. These indicators, practices and policies have been compiled from a variety of frameworks with sources indicated in parenthesis.

Postsecondary Enrollment Playbook

Supported by the Gates Foundation, this playbook shares strategies and data insights to help communities expand postsecondary access and opportunity.

Download the playbook

1. Introduction to Postsecondary Enrollment
2. Essential Questions for Postsecondary Enrollment
3. The Case for Postsecondary Enrollment
4. About the Postsecondary Enrollment Playbook
5. Postsecondary Enrollment Progress
6. Postsecondary Preparation
7. Support Networks that Build Social Capital
8. Experiences and Neighborhood Conditions
9. Positive, Supportive Environments
10. Bibliography