Imagine learning that’s accessible, lifelong, and prepares everyone for a global future.

To realize this vision, Lumina Foundation works to ensure 60 percent of adults will have a college degree, certificate, industry certification, or other credential of value by 2025.

We invest in today’s students by creating clearer paths to learning beyond high school.

Lumina Foundation works in partnership with education and business leaders, civil rights organizations, policymakers, and individuals who want to reimagine how and where learning occurs.

Students looking bored in a lecture hall.

Ending Racial Injustice Today's Credentials Today's Institutions Today's Students

Growing a new crop of environmental scientists to meet a global challenge

Tuskegee University’s agricultural past is fertile ground for a greener future

Century College solar energy program brightens students’ career prospects

Solar energy program shows students the light … and the money.

A desk job wasn’t for her, but she’s found success in a construction careers program.

Building things, fixing things, creating with her hands—that was the sort of work Catiana had in mind.

After a rough start, he turned things around with training for a high-demand industry.

Jack earned his GED, took college courses, and then earned his commercial driver’s license—and the route to a good job.

Inside out: Community colleges far and wide

Lumina's Million Dollar Community College Challenge team is shining a spotlight on the great work of community colleges around the world.

California students' journeys documented in Today's College Climb photoessay

Lumina Foundation teamed up with documentary photographer Rachel Bujalski to capture a candid, close-up look at the lives of five students. Learn more about the barriers today’s students encounter.

The Latest

Longtime higher education leader joins Lumina board

Pardis Mahdavi, president of the University of La Verne, a private, nonprofit Hispanic-Serving Institution in the Los Angeles area, has joined Lumina Foundation’s board of directors, which concluded its spring meeting today.

April 11, 2024

Indiana education policy leader joins Lumina board

Teresa Lubbers, a leader in higher education policy and former commissioner of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, has joined Lumina Foundation’s Board of Directors, which concluded its spring meeting today.

April 11, 2024

A Stronger Nation, Year After Year

Recently released data on Lumina’s Stronger Nation tool shows that the national education attainment rate has reached 54.3 percent. The country has increased in education attainment by 16 percentage points since 2008. Courtney Brown and Chris Mullin of Lumina Foundation share the stories, insights, and considerations under these banner numbers.

• April 9, 2024

Do college majors matter? Not as much as you think

It might be the most common question college students get. “What’s your major?” While it may be a great conversation starter on campus, the question isn’t all that effective in predicting someone’s job choice.

• April 8, 2024

Florida’s anti-DEI actions hit hard for alumna and mom of recent grad

And my equity journey continues. Four years ago, I wrote a column about sending my son off to college and my fears for him as a young Black man finding his way as a student and citizen. Today, I’m the proud mom of a college graduate. Though the world shut down during my son’s freshman year, and he spent […]

• March 27, 2024

I dug deep into the history of this country’s credentialling frenzy and resurfaced with six ways we can reduce the chaos

Believe it or not, there were more than 144 local time zones in the United States before 1883. This made it difficult for railroads to schedule and coordinate routes, resulting in train collisions. So, the country adopted standard time zones to end the confusion.

• March 26, 2024

Thinking about college? Don’t let COVID fatigue hold you back

Amid rising costs and questions about higher education, fewer young people are going to college, and that’s bad for all of us.

• March 25, 2024

New Reality: Students weigh gun control, abortion laws when choosing colleges

In the fall of 2022, gun violence shattered the tranquility of my son’s college experience at the University of Virginia. In an urgent call, he said, “Mom, there’s an active shooter on campus. I think some people have died not too far from here. No one knows where the shooter is, so we’re all locked […]

• March 14, 2024

When considering college, students and families should think more like investors

Of all the discussions about the cost and price of college, the most important often happen far from the seats of power in Congress and university boardrooms.

• March 11, 2024

Admissions Beat podcast S5 Episode 6: Is College Worth It?

Jamie Merisotis and Tony Carnevale share insights on American views on higher education, including: What is the enduring value of an undergraduate degree? What majors (if any) bring a career dividend despite the rising cost of obtaining it? And does “the duality of a good job and a good life” still matter? (Yes.)

• March 5, 2024

The Great Admissions Redesign: Three things we learned when we asked the nation to redo college admissions

Late last year, we at Lumina Foundation saw a unique opportunity to rethink the college admissions process for the better.

• Feb. 29, 2024

Lumina Foundation announces winners of The Great Admissions Redesign Challenge

More than $3 million awarded to transform how students get into college INDIANAPOLIS – In response to the evolving landscape of college admissions, Lumina Foundation has announced the winners of The Great Admissions Redesign. This challenge seeks to revolutionize the admissions process and increase accessibility to higher education for all students, particularly those not admitted […]

Feb. 29, 2024

Higher ed has its hot-button issues, but jobs remain a top priority for state policymakers

As state legislatures across the country get deeper into the policymaking process this year, we’re getting a clearer idea of how they may act on the top issues facing college students and families.

• Feb. 26, 2024

Even if your collar’s blue, a college degree can mean more green

When we think of ways to make college more affordable and make degrees more valuable in the workplace, we don’t think about Chris Jones. I mention Jones, an Indiana electrician, but there are many like him: People with degrees in the humanities making a good living in fields far from the subjects they studied in […]

• Feb. 12, 2024

College degrees grow. See for yourself in our user-friendly tool.

Welcome to the era of data-driven transformation, where fresh insights pave the way to a brighter future. We recently unveiled new data in Lumina Foundation’s Stronger Nation tool, an interactive map guiding us toward our national goal of helping 60 percent of Americans earn college degrees or other quality credentials by 2025. Even amid skepticism […]

• Feb. 5, 2024

Short-term credentials leading to pay increases fell, highlighting the need for programs to pay off.

Thirty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, saw declines in the share of residents having industry certifications and college certificates with significant wage premiums. This unusual decline in short-term credentials, surfacing in Lumina Foundation’s update of A Stronger Nation today, highlights the importance of paying attention to the labor market payoff of such credentials. Short-term programs like these are often alternatives to associate and bachelor’s programs.

• Jan. 31, 2024

A Stronger Nation: New Federal Data Show More Adults Earning College Degrees

Lumina Foundation Data Show 54.3 Percent of U.S. Working-Age Adults Have Bachelor’s and Associate Degrees and Short-Term Credentials of Value While Racial, Ethnic Disparities Persist.

Jan. 31, 2024

We need more students at elite colleges from low- and middle-income families, not fewer

Even with American higher education’s need for reform, our system is the world’s envy. This is partly because of the diversity of institutions students in the United States can benefit from, including prestigious, world-class universities and research centers. For a privileged few, success at an elite school can open doors to service in the halls of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the inner sanctum of the White House. These graduates often land coveted positions at Fortune 500 companies, investment banks, and tech startups.

• Jan. 29, 2024

See All News

Creating more just outcomes for students

The nation’s progress

The United States faces a growing need for talent. Many more people of all races, ethnicities, ages, and income levels will need college degrees, certificates, industry certifications, and other credentials to join or remain in the middle class.

A Stronger Nation

Talking about race

To achieve justice for people who are Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Native American through increased learning, we must help people understand why that’s important, what systemic barriers exist, and how we can make a difference.

Communication Tips