Refers to a state-level public data system or interactive dashboard that provides information about postsecondary education, workforce outcomes, credential attainment, affordability, enrollment, completion, labor market alignment, or related education-to-employment indicators. State postsecondary data dashboards are typically designed to help students, families, policymakers, institutions, employers, workforce agencies, researchers, and economic development organizations better understand how postsecondary education systems are functioning and how they connect to workforce and economic needs.

Common dashboard features may include enrollment trends, graduation and completion rates, transfer patterns, student debt and affordability, employment and earnings outcomes, regional workforce demand, credential production, labor market shortages, and demographic and geographic filtering tools. These dashboards often combine data from multiple sources, including higher education agencies, state longitudinal data systems (SLDS), workforce agencies, wage records, institutional reporting systems, labor market analytics providers, and federal datasets such as IPEDS. In recent years, many states have expanded these systems to include workforce and labor market information.

State postsecondary data dashboards vary in scope and sophistication. Some function primarily as reporting portals, while others are part of larger cross-agency data infrastructures that connect education, workforce, and economic development systems. Some dashboards primarily focus on public transparency and accountability reporting; others are evolving into broader education-to-workforce intelligence systems that support state planning, talent development, economic mobility initiatives, and workforce alignment strategies.

Examples of states developing public-facing postsecondary dashboard systems include Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Colorado, and Ohio.

See Topic Brief: The Development & Role of State Postsecondary Data Dashboards | Learn & Work Ecosystem Library