Washington, DC—The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has released a new, interactive tool that presents easily digestible data on key measures of cost-effectiveness and academic quality for nearly 500 public, four-year colleges and universities. On the site, lawmakers can instantly see how their state ranks on institutional finance issues (such as administrative bloat) and academic quality issues (such as free speech policies). ACTA’s tool collates 10 important, measurable data points and makes them available on one easily searchable map.

The future of the economy, the health of our civic institutions, and the integrity of our national workforce depends on the strength of our colleges and universities and their commitment to excellent student outcomes and financial stewardship. Policymakers cannot assume that higher education institutions properly serve taxpayers and students without careful oversight.

• MS ranks 50^th in the nation for administrator to professor ratios
• MS ranks 50^th in the nation for student to administrator ratios
• MS ranks 9^th in the nation for core curriculum
• MS ranks 1^st in the nation for speech code policies

“Students, families, and taxpayers deserve a public higher education system that prepares graduates for career and citizenship and that stewards state funds appropriately. Lawmakers must ensure that colleges and universities meet these goals,” says Armand Alacbay, ACTA’s vice president of trustee & government affairs. “ACTA’s new tool provides policymakers with the information they need to make sound, data-driven decisions.”