ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY

EdTrust seeks a Higher Ed Research Fellow to join a staff committed to fulfilling our mission of closing opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. 

The Fellow will manage the data and analysis for the team’s tools, including creating a streamlined process for downloading, cleaning, merging, and appending postsecondary data to create the metrics contained in EdTrust products such as College Results, Segregation Forever, The Affordability Gap, and the Public Tableau. The work will focus on using publicly available data to create compelling narratives about access, accountability, affordability, and success for low-income students and students of color in postsecondary education, with projects exploring college affordability, credentials of value, student outcomes, and transparency in education and workforce data systems. This work sits at the intersection of quantitative research, data management, and public-facing tools, with a focus on making education and workforce data more accessible and actionable.

EdTrust is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the U.S. education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where all students will thrive. 

This role, available September 2026, can be based out of our Washington, DC, California, Tennessee, or New York offices and is full-time for less than 12 months. The Higher Ed Research Fellow must report to an EdTrust office within three (3) days of hire for employment verification. The Fellow reports to the Director of Higher Ed Research and will serve as a member of the EdTrust National Higher Ed Research Team.  

ABOUT THE ROLE

The major responsibilities for this role include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Mine data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the College Scorecard, U.S. Census, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and other sources to produce datasets that help identify institutions and states that are successfully enrolling and graduating underserved populations, or making significant progress in those areas
• Collect original qualitative data or administer survey research
• Analyze national datasets to identify barriers to access and success for students of color and low-income students in higher education
• Contribute to the improvement and updating of College Results, an interactive webtool
• Develop and analyze equity metrics that assess how successful institutions and states are at increasing access, accountability, affordability, and success for students of color and low-income students
• Collect literature and draft research to inform team projects and policy recommendations
• Develop tools and processes to aid postsecondary improvement efforts
• Translate data and research into accessible, public-facing products, including dashboards, webtools, briefs, and content for digital and social media platforms
• Support the design and implementation of efficient, reproducible workflows for data cleaning, analysis, and documentation across team projects

IDEAL SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Shared belief in EdTrust’s mission and a commitment to improving educational equity with a focus on racial equity
• Dedication in contributing to and maintaining an equitable working environment
• Strong critical thinking skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to do autonomous analytical work with data
• Strong verbal and written communication skills 
• Teamwork skills and an eagerness for collaboration
• Problem-solving ability
• Willingness to receive and act upon, as well as provide, constructive feedback
• Continuous learner
• Experience or interest in using digital platforms (including social media) to communicate data insights to broader audiences
• Interest in connecting quantitative and qualitative research to inform policy, practice, and public understanding

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and experience: 

• At least a bachelor’s degree in education, public policy, statistics, research methodologies, or a related field; enrollment in a Master’s degree program is preferred 
• Experience in a research role, including quantitative data analysis
• Experience with statistical software (R, SQL, Python, STATA, SPSS) and/or data visualization (Power BI, Tableau, R, gplot, etc.)
• Familiarity with higher education issues preferred

COMPENSATION

The pay for this position ranges from $19 - $30/hr and offers are commensurate with education and experience. 

 EdTrust prioritizes the health and well-being of its employees and, to that end, offers a highly competitive benefits package. Medical, dental and vision insurance are covered at 100% for the employee, with significant coverage also offered for spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. We offer an Employee Assistance Program at no cost to the employee. We provide sick leave, vacation leave and paid holidays (we follow the federal government for most holiday closures). 

To Apply: 

EdTrust is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds.  

Qualified candidates please complete the application in ADP, including providing an updated resume and responding to the short answer questions in lieu of a cover letter.