Higher education is often described as a path to upward mobility, but students from low-income backgrounds are less likely to enroll and earn a degree. A new study by IDS affiliate Taylor Odle of UW–Madison’s Department of Educational Policy Studies examines the institutions delivering high-impact results.

Odle and his co-authors developed an empirical model that evaluates colleges across multiple measures of success at serving students from lower-income backgrounds. They identified 149 diverse “High Performing Pell” institutions, which have high graduation rates for Pell recipients, low gaps in access and attainment between Pell and non-Pell students, and relatively high earnings after graduation.

In this study, traditional quantitative measures, such as financial aid availability and racial/ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, did a poor job of explaining this performance. The authors say this points to a combination of observable and unobservable factors that together create supportive environments for marginalized students.

The study also offers a new way to identify postsecondary exemplars, and it lays a foundation for further research into institutions that have reduced or eliminated socioeconomic attainment gaps. The authors say those institutions are worthy of attention from policymakers, practitioners, and funders.