Introduction to the Postsecondary Completion Outcomes Playbook
Postsecondary Completion Playbook: Chapter 1
Overview
Postsecondary completion is a key gateway to opportunity. Enrollment opens the door, but finishing the path — whether through a two- or four-year degree, career and technical education, or an apprenticeship — is what unlocks economic mobility and long-term stability. Communities can make a difference by ensuring students have strong support networks, access to financial aid and pathways that lead to meaningful careers.
When students complete a postsecondary pathway, they unlock greater opportunities — for themselves, their families and their communities. A degree, credential or apprenticeship can open doors to well-paying careers, long-term stability and upward mobility. It’s not just about finishing school — it’s about building a future with real choices, economic independence and the ability to thrive. Supporting more students to complete their chosen path is one of the most powerful ways communities can invest in individual potential and collective prosperity.
This playbook is designed to help educators, community leaders and policy makers increase postsecondary completion — whether through two- or four-year degrees, industry-recognized credentials, registered apprenticeships, military service or skilled trades programs. These pathways share a common goal: preparing students for careers that offer a living wage and a clear path to upward mobility.
To do this effectively, community leaders need evidence-based insights on what helps young people persist and complete postsecondary pathways — but accessing that information can be difficult. Too often, leaders spend valuable time searching for research when they could be focused on driving solutions with their communities. Consider three real examples:
- An organization is expanding its student success initiatives and needs a clear understanding of the key factors that influence postsecondary completion.
- A cross-sector group of educators, employers and community leaders is convening to identify concrete, evidence-based strategies to help students not only enroll, but stay enrolled and earn credentials that lead to a living wage.
- A city planning group working to boost local employment is meeting with business leaders and needs compelling research on how improving postsecondary completion rates strengthens the workforce and economy.
This playbook is a practical guide to research and best practices for improving postsecondary completion. It equips community leaders with the tools to identify opportunities, co-design effective strategies with their communities and build support for collective action — ensuring more young people finish what their degrees and move confidently into adulthood.
The playbook is organized around 14 essential questions that help communities understand their starting point and identify potential focus areas. Each question aligns to research-based topics that support postsecondary completion 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.
Example Content
The Postsecondary Completion Playbook is organized around 14 essential questions. Each question offers a menu of possible indicators to track, as well as practices and policies to implement.
Postsecondary Completion Playbook
Download the playbook