We are delivering on our promise to demystify the postsecondary landscape and empower educators and students to navigate it successfully.
OneGoal Fellows enroll in postsecondary institutions at far higher levels than their peers in low-income areas, and even at a slightly higher rate than students from high-income schools.
80%
of OneGoal high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary institution
72%
of those persist one year after high school graduation
“It’s impressive to see that as OneGoal scaled in recent years it sustained its impact. By increasing high school graduation rates, OneGoal is growing the pool of students that can access higher education. They are ultimately helping more students enroll and complete their degrees, which benefits not only the students but entire communities.”
UChicago Inclusive Economy Lab conducted a rigorous and independent evaluation of our program’s impact on students’ postsecondary outcomes. The researchers compared OneGoal Fellows in Chicago with students with similar academic profiles and socioeconomic backgrounds, and found evidence that OneGoal has a positive and statistically significant effect on postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and graduation.
OneGoal has grown from a small afterschool program serving just 32 students in Chicago to a nationwide movement that is impacting some 75,800 students through the OneGoal Program and OneGoal Leadership Network as of the 2023-24 school year.
OneGoal also delivers our OneGoal Leadership Network to education leaders.
We focus on increasing postsecondary completion because research continuously shows that a postsecondary education leads to broad, positive social impact.
The median lifetime income for those with a bachelor’s degree is more than two times that of workers with high school diplomas or GEDs, and around 70% higher for someone with some college but no degree. (source)
People who have bachelor’s degrees are 48% less likely to be unemployed over the lifetime of their career, while associate degree holders are 24% less likely to be unemployed than individuals with a high school diploma. (source)
Individuals with only a high school diploma are 53% more likely to receive SNAP and housing assistance than those with an Associate Degree. (source)
Bachelor’s degree holders are 20% more likely to have employer-provided health insurance. (source)
Sana Al Taima is a sophomore at the University of Houston and a OneGoal class of 2020 alum. She previously spoke to OneGoal about her experience with our Beyond12 partnership and now shares how her OneGoal cohort helped her find community in a new country.
The pathway from a high school diploma to a postsecondary degree is not always a straight line. For OneGoal alum in Massachusetts, Esvin Ruiz, the journey has been full persistence through unexpected detours, including several frightening health challenges and a unique program offering financial aid help.
OneGoal is piloting new partnerships to expand access to high-quality postsecondary opportunities for OneGoal Fellows and providing them with the timely and relevant support they need to complete their journeys in higher education.