Data with Purpose: Benchmarking to Demonstrate the Value of a College Education

In this episode of Data Stakes, host Debbie sits down with Michelle Taylor, Senior Research Analyst at the National Community College Benchmarking Institute (NCCBI). They discuss the origins and 20-year evolution of the National Community College Benchmarking Project (NCCBP) and why it remains an essential, adaptable resource for two-year institutions of all sizes.

Michelle breaks down how community colleges are leveraging customized benchmarking data to make smarter resource allocation decisions, track return on investment (ROI), and navigate modern higher education challenges like the enrollment cliff. Key Takeaways:

• The Flexibility of the NCCBP: How institutions—even those without dedicated institutional research (IR) staff—can tailor their data submissions to fit their specific needs and capacity.
• Proactive Enrollment Management: Using real-time tracking 140 days out from census to compare enrollment numbers against national averages and peer groups.
• Cost, Productivity, and ROI: How the project integrates external O*NET labor market data to help colleges measure the true cost of instruction at the program (CIP code) level and align curriculum with regional job growth.
• Tracking the Hard-to-Measure: Strategies for benchmarking non-credit education and workforce training programs.
• Upcoming Events: Where to connect with the NCCBI team this year, plus early details on the 2027 Benchmarking Conference tailored specifically for two-year institutions.

Data Stakes is sponsored by the Data Analytics Alliance for Higher Education.