Academic fit, or the alignment between a student’s academic performance and academic qualifications of a college's admitted student body, helps boost graduation rates and fosters an environment where students can succeed. Many school districts across the country have placed a heightened focus on getting students academically matched, yet Black and Latine students continue to enroll and attend their best-match institutions at significantly lower rates than other groups.  

In partnership with Chicago Public School’s Office of School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising (OSCPA), the Inclusive Economy Lab explored the drivers of this high level of undermatch. Early analyses suggest that financial considerations significantly limit the range of schools that students consider attending. This report examines the role that academic match, social fit, and affordability play in exacerbating and reinforcing inequitable postsecondary enrollment and outcomes. 

Click here to read the Executive Summary

Click here to read the FULL report

Click here to listen to our interview with Rufus Williams on the WVON Morning Show

Executive Summary: Developing a Best Fit Framework for Post Secondary Success Developing a Best Fit Framework for Postsecondary Success