Post-Secondary Pathways

Public education has never been more critical to ensuring economic mobility and future success.

A college degree is increasingly important for promoting economic mobility. While much of the post-secondary policy attention is focused on college attendance, there are significantly larger disparities in college completion rates. Students living in areas with high poverty rates disproportionately face challenges to success in college, including access to a high-quality high school education with a strong college-bound culture, guidance in navigating complex college admissions and financial aid processes, and a lack of additional supports necessary to help them persist. While 76% of CPS first-year students aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree, it is estimated that only 18% will do so within ten years of starting high school. 

The Education Lab is working in partnership with CPS and college success providers in Chicago to identify and co-design supports to support CPS students–especially Options students–to achieve their post-secondary aspirations in college and career.

Related Projects
Post-Secondary Pathways

Post-Secondary Pathways

The Education Lab partnered with Chicago Public Schools to help implement and pilot interventions aiming to support the post-secondary career and education outcomes in Chicago schools where students face significant challenges.

Post-Secondary Champions

Post-Secondary Champions

The Education Lab partnered with Chicago Public Schools to help implement a program embedding post-secondary advisors in schools to provide personalized supports for students’ post-secondary career and education outcomes.

Embedded Analysts
CURRENT

Embedded Analysts

The Education Lab provides technical assistance to support Chicago Public Schools in using data analysis to answer key questions and guide daily decisions.

Genesys Works
CURRENT

Genesys Works

The Education Lab is evaluating the impact of Genesys Works, an education and workforce development program that aims to improve high school achievement, college enrollment, college persistence, employment, and earnings.

Related Resources
Preliminary Findings: The Impact of Hope Chicago on College Enrollment
Brief

Preliminary Findings: The Impact of Hope Chicago on College Enrollment

Sep 2025

Hope Chicago is a program designed to tackle the many barriers that can prevent college access and success. This research brief highlights preliminary findings from an evaluation of its impact, finding large increases in postsecondary enrollment rates.

Latest Updates

Q&A With Eleni Packis: Supporting Student Engagement During Remote Learning
Web Post
UChicago Education Lab
Sep 2026

Q&A With Eleni Packis: Supporting Student Engagement During Remote Learning

Read a Q&A with Eleni Packis, co-author of a working paper presenting evidence from three large-scale randomized controlled trials carried out during the 2020 shift to virtual instruction to study interventions aimed at re-engaging students in virtual environments.

Every Choice Has Opportunity: Inside the ECHO Curriculum
Event
UChicago Education Lab
Apr 2026

Every Choice Has Opportunity: Inside the ECHO Curriculum

The Crime Lab and Education Lab hosted a webinar to provide an in-depth look at the research behind ECHO, our approach to creating it, and an overview of resources and tips to get started with using the curriculum.

Philadelphia’s tutoring program shows promise but faces familiar obstacle: expanding it effectively
Media Mention
Chalkbeat Philadelphia
Dec 2025

Philadelphia’s tutoring program shows promise but faces familiar obstacle: expanding it effectively

The Education Lab’s John Wolf spoke to Rebecca Redelmeier for Chalkbeat Philadelphia about our research showing high-dosage tutoring works—but only when students receive enough of it each week to produce measurable gains.