As credential offerings in higher education evolve in both type and value, data can play a clarifying role. With this in mind, Open Campus, a nonprofit news organization, partnered with The HEA Group, a research and policy organization, to create the Certificate Earnings Explorer. 

The Certificate Earnings Explorer is an interactive online tool that allows users to explore and compare the economic outcomes of undergraduate certificate programs across the United States. Known for their targeted focus and flexibility, certificates are part of a fast-growing sector in higher education.

The Certificate Earnings Explorer is publicly available. You can access the tool at https://certificates.opencampus.org. 

The tool arrives at a time with ever more attention on certificates. Starting July 1, 2026, major changes to federal financial aid will allow students to use Pell Grants for even shorter workforce training programs. Better understanding the earnings outcomes from existing certificate programs can help inform decisions about what other programs should be eligible under the new law.

“We’re excited to partner with The HEA Group on this tool,” said Scott Smallwood, co-founder and CEO of Open Campus. “Like so many things in higher education, short-term certificates aren’t just one thing. Our goal is to bring more transparency to that wide range of outcomes.”

“Policymakers, students, institutions, and employers deserve access to transparent data about which programs are creating economic mobility and which are falling short,” said Michael Itzkowitz, founder and president of The HEA Group. “This tool is designed to help policymakers move beyond assumptions and make decisions grounded in evidence.”

Open Campus and The HEA Group will present a webinar on the Certificate Earnings Explorer and insights from the tool on Tuesday, July 14 at 1 p.m. EDT.

Panelists include:

  • Sara Hebel, Co-Founder & editor-in-chief of Open Campus
  • Michael Itzkowitz, founder & president of The HEA Group
  • Carrie Warick-Smith, vice president-public policy at the Association of Community College Trustees.

Please register at this link.

See an alignment with your work? Let’s talk.

Open Campus seeks partners who can engage with its reporting and investigations and deepen its impact within the communities the organization serves. 

Do you have an idea about how higher education could work better in your community? Do you work in an organization that would benefit from more information about your local colleges and universities? Open Campus wants to talk with you. 

Some examples of potential partners include: student groups, community leaders, civic organizations, workforce organizations, and individuals invested in their local community’s information access. 

Or if you focus on college access, educational equity, community engagement, or workforce development and simply want Open Campus to know about your work, please reach out. 

Open Campus is building networks that connect accountability journalism to the people positioned to use it. Please fill out this short form, and we’ll be in touch.

About Open Campus: Open Campus is a nonprofit news organization that ensures communities have the independent information they need about higher ed. By placing expert reporters in local newsrooms across the country, we help people understand and influence the institutions that shape their futures. Founded in 2019, we now work with 20 newsroom partners. We’re supported by funders spanning journalism and higher education, including Arnold Ventures, the Lumina Foundation, and the American Journalism Project.

About The HEA Group: The HEA Group is a research and policy organization focused on college access, value, and economic mobility.