The American Council on Education (ACE) has unveiled a new interactive platform designed to quantify and visualize the economic impact of higher education across the United States. The Education Economic Indicators Tool offers users a data-rich look at how colleges and universities contribute to local, state, and national economies—underscoring their critical role amid ongoing debates about the value of a college degree.
Unveiled at an Oct. 6 event in Washington, D.C., the platform aggregates data from multiple federal sources, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the College Scorecard, and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Users can explore metrics such as institutional revenues, salary expenditures, and median earnings by education level across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and each congressional district. ACE plans to expand the tool to include regional and national economic data in the coming months.
ACE President Ted Mitchell said the database serves as both an educational and advocacy resource for policymakers, researchers, and the public. It allows users to see “the central role the institutions play as drivers of economic prosperity,” according to remarks shared at the event. The organization hopes the tool will help counter skepticism about higher education’s return on investment by making its economic value visible and measurable.
Howard University Interim President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, who spoke at the launch, praised the initiative as a necessary corrective to growing misinformation about the sector. “We need leaders like Ted to continue maintaining equity and stability in the sector,” Frederick said. “Universities exist for one simple reason: to amplify the humanity of others. Part of that is ensuring that people can earn a living, access health care, have food security, and sustain housing. Institutions that commit to that work have an impact that goes far beyond economics.”
Frederick emphasized that while the new tool captures the financial influence of higher education, universities’ contributions extend well beyond what can be measured in dollars. Citing his personal experience living with sickle cell disease, he said, “When I was born, the prediction was that I would live to eight years old. Today, we live in a country which has gene therapy for that disease, a testament to the transformative power of research and higher education.” He added that such advances demonstrate “the kinds of outcomes we struggle to quantify.”
The platform’s launch aligns with ACE’s broader effort to demonstrate how higher education supports both individual and societal advancement. According to ACE’s own statement, colleges and universities have long been “the foundation for growth,” driving upward social and economic mobility for generations of Americans. The site’s interactive maps reveal how education correlates with key economic indicators, such as lower unemployment rates and higher earnings, while also reflecting the sector’s role as a major employer and investor in local communities.
Frederick also linked the effort to Howard University’s institutional mission, noting the school’s commitment to paying all employees a living wage and keeping tuition affordable. Those policies, he said, exemplify how universities can “ensure that people can earn a living” and help sustain equitable economic ecosystems.
As higher education faces mounting scrutiny—from questions about affordability to attacks on academic freedom—ACE’s new tool offers a data-driven counterpoint. By illustrating the measurable and immeasurable benefits of the sector, the Education Economic Indicators Tool aims to reinforce the message that colleges and universities remain indispensable to America’s economic and civic health.
