The data elements included in College Portrait were identified and evaluated based on input from student/family focus groups, feedback from the higher education community, and research on higher education.

The majority of the data elements selected are from currently available data sources with established definitions and reporting conventions, e.g., the Common Data Set.

For each VSA participating institution, the College Portrait supplies basic comparable information through a common web report. Information includes student and campus characteristics, cost of attendance, success and progress rates, campus safety, class size, student experiences on campus, and student learning outcomes.

The college portraits can be viewed by state on the College Portrait website at www.collegeportraits.org.