BLM's Performance Tracker Shows Good News For Michigan Public Universities
DETROIT (WWJ) -- Business Leaders for Michigan, the statewide CEO organization and successor to Detroit Renaissance, Monday released an updated version of Michigan's Performance Tracker for Public Universities, a website that identifies the performance of Michigan's 15 public universities compared to their peers.
The update ranks each school across more than 30 different data points, and shows many are on track to keep administrative costs low while boosting granting degrees with the critical skills employers need.
"Michigan's Performance Tracker for Public Universities makes the state a national leader in providing students, parents and policy makers an easy way to compare the performance of Michigan's public universities," said Doug Rothwell, BLM President and CEO. "The data shows that Michigan's public universities outperform their peers in producing more graduates with the critical skills employers need. Yet while our universities are doing a better job of producing skilled graduates and controlling costs, 13 of Michigan's 15 public universities are receiving less state support than their peers. At a time when Michigan needs more workers with an education beyond high school, we have to step up state support for our universities and colleges to make higher education more affordable."
Key findings from the update include:
Michigan's public universities continue to outperform peers in producing graduates with critical skills employers need
* In 2011, 12 of 15 public universities were above average in producing critical skills degrees and certificates and seven of 15 were among the top 20 percent.
* Thirteen of 15 public universities increased the number of critical skills degrees and certificates they awarded over the three years from 2008 to 2011.
Michigan's public universities are working to control costs
* In 2011, seven of 15 universities had administrative costs (as a percent of core expenditures) that were lower than their peer average
* Six of 15 saw a drop in these figures while the rest held administrative cost increases below inflation
Michigan's universities are doing more to make a college degree accessible
* 11 of 15 universities have more Pell students than their peer average and six of 15 are in the top 20 percent
* All universities have increased the number of Pell students they serve over the three years from 2008 to 2011
A large majority of Michigan's public universities receive less state support than their peers.
* Thirteen of 15 Michigan universities receive below average state support compared to their peers.
The Performance Tracker for Public Universities was created over the course of a year in collaboration with the Anderson Economic Group and the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan. It was first released in February 2013. It can be found at www.businessleadersformichigan.com/PerformanceTracker.
