WSAC’s SAP dashboard delivers key Washington higher education data
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How many people in Washington are going to college?
How much financial aid does the state provide to help people afford their education?
Have those numbers been going up or down?
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These questions and more can be answered with a visit to the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) dashboard managed by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC). The dashboard includes selected indicators that track the state’s progress toward its postsecondary attainment goal, with a particular focus on equity.
The SAP dashboard aligns with WSAC’s Strategic Action Plan, which identifies key state policies to increase educational attainment. The SAP provides a framework based around four strategic cluster areas: affordability, enrollment, basic needs, and completion.
The dashboard can inform policy discussions and help stakeholders and policymakers make data-driven decisions. Current findings include:
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Affordability and Enrollment: The FAFSA completion rate for high school seniors has increased by 12 percentage points over the last 10 years. This coincides with sharp increases in the proportion of students receiving need-based financial aid at both two-year and four-year institutions.
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Enrollment: Undergraduate enrollment increased from approximately 377,000 to 397,000 students (a five percent increase) between 2023 and 2024, indicating a slow but steady recovery from the pandemic.
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Basic Needs: In a 2024 survey of students, nearly 60% of respondents reported accessing some sort of basic needs support services. The most widespread issue (75.6%) is an inability to afford childcare, which jumped 9.1 percentage points since the last survey was administered in 2022.
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Completion: The overall graduation rate within 150% of normal time has increased by 1.8 percentage points over the last 10 years. “150% of normal time” is defined as three years for two-year institutions and six years for four-year institutions.
To explore more findings and dive deeper into the data, visit WSAC’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP) dashboard.
About the Washington Student Achievement Council
The Washington Student Achievement Council is committed to increasing educational opportunities and attainment in Washington.
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