BUILT FOR HIGHER ED LEADERSHIP
Precision Benchmarking
A custom benchmarking tool for higher ed leadership
ORIGINS
Designed by Institutions, for Institutions
Precision Benchmarking was originally created by the Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) as a way to improve institutional outcomes through the use of national data. Today, under the management of Precision Campus, Precision Benchmarking offers institutions more than 20 benchmarking reports based on a national dataset containing 400+ variables from roughly 4,400 institutions.
THE REPORTS
Benchmark the Metrics Leadership Relies On
Instantly generate comparisons between your home institution and self-selected peer groups across five distinct categories.
Admissions
Data Sources: IPEDS
- Admissions by Institutions and by Year
Outcomes
Data Sources: IPEDS, Student Achievement Measure
- One-Year Retention
- Six-Year Graduation Rate by Demographics
- Six-Year Graduation Rate by Pell
- All Degrees Awarded
- Average Median Earnings for Bachelor’s Completers
- Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded by CIP
- Completions by Pell Status
- Student Achievement Measures (Associate’s/Certificate)
- Student Achievement Measures (Bachelor’s)
Headcount
Data Sources: IPEDS
- Fall Headcount
- Fall Undergraduate Headcount by Demographics
- Full-Time Faculty Demographics
- Student-Faculty Ratio
- Undergraduates by First-Time Status
Finances
Data Sources: IPEDS, College Scorecard
- Financial Aid
- Instructional Expenditures per FTE by Year
- Net Price
- State Appropriations per FTE by Year
- Student Cost
- Student Debt by Program
Research
Data Sources: Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey
- Research Funding
THE ALTERNATIVES
Precision Benchmarking vs. the Alternatives
Here’s why going straight to the source or enlisting an AI tool for peer comparisons might not be the right choice.
Precision Benchmarking vs. Going to IPEDS Directly
While IPEDS has the raw data, it isn’t intended to be directly used by leadership. Precision Benchmarking does the data preparation work for you and provides your leadership team with:
- Curated, digestible reports, not raw data that’s difficult to interpret
- A user-friendly interface that’s easy to navigate
- Polished comparisons, no data wrangling required
Precision Benchmarking vs. Generic AI Tools
AI may be able to answer benchmarking questions, but its answer can change depending on how you ask, and there may not be clear insight to where the numbers come from. Precision Benchmarking gives you:
- Structured, consistent output, with the same, reliable answer every time
- One defined methodology. Every result is calculated the same way, so comparisons actually hold up.
- Verifiable data sourced from trusted resources including IPEDS, SAM, HERD, or College Scorecard
PROVENANCE
About Precision Benchmarking’s Data Sources
01
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
IPEDS gathers data annually through 12 linked surveys, spanning every college, university, and technical or vocational institution that takes part in federal student aid programs.
02
Student Achievement Measure (SAM)
SAM tracks undergraduate student movement between institutions, filling in progress and completion data that single-institution graduation rates might miss.
03
Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey
HERD is the definitive federal source for R&D data and trends at U.S. colleges and universities.
04
College Scorecard
Using U.S. Department of Education data, College Scorecard provides insights into costs, student debt, graduation rates, admissions test scores and acceptance rates, student body diversity, post-college earnings, and more.
Smarter Benchmarking
Higher Ed Benchmarking Features
Custom Peer Groups
Easily create and save as many peer groups as you need and reuse them across every report.
Instant Visual Reports
Generate presentation-ready comparisons in minutes, instead of waiting on responses to data requests.
Campus-Wide Access
Add users from your institution at no additional cost, so benchmarking capabilities aren’t limited to a single office.
Print & Export
Export data or print reports directly for board presentations, accreditation applications or renewals, and strategic planning.
Nationally Representative Data
Compare against any of 4,400+ institutions nationwide, filterable by dimensions like Carnegie Classification, institutional control, and enrollment.
Refreshed With the Most Recent Data
Reports update as new data becomes available, so your comparisons are always accurate with up-to-date information.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Precision Benchmarking?
Precision Benchmarking is a peer comparison tool that enables leadership at higher education institutions to generate custom benchmarking reports across admissions, outcomes, headcount, finances, and research using data sourced from IPEDS and other trusted national datasets.
How current is the data?
Precision Benchmarking uses the most current data available. Reports are refreshed as new data is released by IPEDS, SAM, the HERD Survey, and College Scorecard.
How is Precision Benchmarking different from downloading data straight from the source?
Precision Benchmarking differs from directly downloading from data sources in that it transforms data into curated, clean reports that are easy for even those without a statistics background to digest.
Who can use Precision Benchmarking?
Anyone at your institution can use Precision Benchmarking. You can add users across campus (provosts, deans, IR staff, strategic planning teams) at no additional cost to make the tool as widely accessible as you’d like.
Ready to Take the Next Step Toward Data-Informed Decision Making?
Request a demo today to see what Precision Benchmarking can do for your institution.