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From Classroom to Career: What a Decade of Data Reveals About NMSI's Impact

Tuesday, July 07, 2026

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Summary of Insights 

  • Students with NMSI-trained teachers enrolled in post-secondary education at higher rates than the national average, including a 10-point advantage in immediate enrollment at four-year institutions.  

  • Students from low-income schools with NMSI-trained teachers enrolled in post-secondary education at rates more than 30% higher than students in comparable schools nationally.  

  • NMSI students persisted and completed degrees at higher rates than national averages, with particularly strong outcomes among historically underserved student populations.  

  • Nearly half (47%) of NMSI college graduates earned STEM degrees, compared to 22% nationally, with higher STEM degree attainment across every demographic group studied.  

  • The findings suggest that sustained support for districts, school leaders, and educators can contribute to stronger post-secondary outcomes and a larger STEM talent pipeline 

NMSI was built on a belief that a great teacher can change a student’s trajectory. This means a focus not just on their immediate performance, but in their long-term success as well. New research spanning a decade and including more than 109,000 students suggests that this belief is well-founded. 

Using data from the National Student Clearinghouse , NMSI tracked post-secondary outcomes for students across 582 schools from graduating classes 2015 through 2024. The data is consistent, substantial and holds up across every student demographic: students whose teachers engaged with NMSI programming outperform the national average at every stage of the post-secondary pipeline. 

What Did the Research Track? 

The study followed four outcomes: 

  • Post-secondary enrollment: In both 2- and-4 year institutions, both immediately upon completing high school (within two semesters) and longer term  

  • Post-secondary persistence: Attendance of any post-secondary institution for 3 consecutive semesters 

  • Degree completion: Earning a degree within six years of enrollment  

We tracked post-secondary enrollment, persistence and (STEM) degree completion because the durable and transferable skills learned in post-secondary (particularly STEM) study are a critical mechanism for supporting long-term employability and economic mobility. STEM skills and engagement are beneficial not because all students become scientists or engineers, but because they systematically train ways of thinking and learning that remain valuable across careers and over time. 

The sample spans 10 graduating classes, 582 schools and students from a wide range of backgrounds, including those from high-poverty communities and historically underserved demographic groups. Across every measure, NMSI students outperformed the national average. 

Do Students in Schools with NMSI-Trained Teachers Go to College at Higher Rates? 

Yes, and particularly to four-year institutions. 

  • 76% of NMSI students enrolled in any post-secondary institution, compared to 74% nationally 

  • 53% immediately (within 2 semesters) enrolled in a four-year institution, compared to 43% nationally—a 10-point difference 

Those numbers held steady across every graduating class from 2015 to 2024, ranging from 69% to 80%. This consistent performance highlights the difference NMSI’s resources make in post-secondary enrollment.  

This disparity is most pronounced for students furthest from opportunity. Students in low-income schools (those where greater than 50% of students qualify for free or reduced-fee lunch) with NMSI-trained teachers enrolled in post-secondary education at rates more than 30% higher than peers in comparable schools nationally. This variation shows that NMSI is meaningfully expanding post-secondary access for the students who face the steepest barriers to it. 

Other groups show similarly striking results: 

  • Students from high-minority schools (at least 50% Black and/or Latino/a enrollment): 74% enrolled vs. 59% nationally 

  • Students from high-poverty schools (those where greater than 75% of students qualify for free-or-reduced lunch): 71% enrolled vs. 54% nationally 

 

Do Students from Schools with NMSI-Trained Teacher Persist and Finish College? 

Getting into college is a significant milestone, but staying in and graduating is a result that demonstrates true growth and leads to generational change.  

NMSI students persist in post-secondary education at rates above the national average. Persistence, defined as attending at least three consecutive semesters, ranged from 82% to 87% across graduating classes from 2015 to 2020. The national average over that period was approximately 76%. 

On degree completion, 69% of NMSI students who enrolled in 4-year post-secondary institutions graduated within six years. Nationally, that figure is 62%. That divide widens considerably when looking at specific groups: 

  • Black or African American students: 57% NMSI vs. 44% nationally 

  • Latino/a students: 64% NMSI vs. 51% nationally 

  • Indigenous students: 62% NMSI vs. 45% nationally 

  • Students from low-income schools: 64% NMSI vs. 20% nationally 

This last statistic is the most validating and significant. Students from low-income schools in the NMSI sample graduated at more than three times the rate of their national peers.  

 

STEM Degrees Saw the Most Dramatic Impact 

 The findings on STEM degree attainment are the most striking in the entire dataset.  

47% of NMSI college graduates earned STEM degrees. The national average is 22%.  

That is more than twice the national rate, and it holds across every student cohort tracked in the study. For students who had a NMSI-trained teacher in high school:  

  • Black or African American graduates: 40% earned STEM degrees vs. 15% nationally 

  • Latino/a NMSI graduates: 43% vs. 18% nationally 

  • Indigenous graduates: 50% vs 14% nationally  

  • White graduates: 49% vs. 20% nationally 

  • Female graduates: 44% vs. 15% nationally 

  • Male graduates: 53% vs. 34% nationally  

  • Graduates from low-income schools: 44% vs. 9% nationally 

  • Graduates from high poverty high schools: 41% vs. 8% nationally  

These findings represent a fundamental shift in who enters STEM fields and who gets to build a career in science, technology, engineering or math.  

 

What Does This Mean for School Districts and Funders? 

This data not only highlights the trajectory of student achievement, but also shows what’s possible when districts and teachers receive consistent support. NMSI's model centers on sustained, leader- and teacher-focused professional development and support, resulting in individual and district-level transformation. 

 A decade of longitudinal data paints a clear picture: students with NMSI-trained teachers enroll in college at higher rates, finish at higher rates and enter STEM careers at twice the national rate. The unique wrap-around support for districts, school leaders, and teachers provides the critical support needed to create these institutional pathways. 

 For decision-makers and funders, the question worth asking is not whether district support works, but rather: 

  • Which interventions are actually moving the needle on long-term STEM outcomes, and how do we know? 

  • How can districts build the conditions needed for sustained teacher support? 

  • What role should funders and policymakers play in bringing this model to more schools? 

NMSI's data points toward a replicable model for producing replicable outcomes, which should provide funders and partners with confidence in their investment.  

 

The Bottom Line 

The post-secondary outcomes NMSI sees are not the product of selective enrollment or favorable demographics. The vast majority of schools in this study were Title I eligible, high-minority or both. These were students the education system has too often left behind. What changed was access to well-supported teachers. 

NMSI was founded on the conviction that prepared, supported educators are the key to building the STEM workforce this country needs. That conviction is now backed by a decade of longitudinal data showing exactly what that investment produces: more students in college, more students finishing and more students entering the STEM careers that will define the next generation of innovation. 

See how NMSI partners with districts to drive long-term STEM success.

 

Behind the Numbers—Frequently Asked Questions  

  • What Does NMSI’s Post-Secondary Outcomes Research Measure?  NMSI used data from the National Student Clearinghouse  to track four long-term outcomes for students in NMSI schools: post-secondary enrollment, persistence (attending at least three consecutive semesters), six-year degree completion and STEM degree attainment. The dataset covers more than 109,000 students across 10 graduating classes, from 2015 to 2024. 

 

  • How Do NMSI Students Compare to the National Average on STEM Degree Attainment?  NMSI college graduates earn STEM degrees at 47%, compared to a national average of 22%. That gap holds across every demographic group tracked, including Black, Latino/a, female and low-income students, each of whom earn STEM degrees at two to four times the national rate of their peers. 

 

  • Does NMSI’s Approach Produce Results for Students in High-Poverty or High-Minority schools? Yes. Students from high-poverty schools in the NMSI sample enrolled in post-secondary institutions at 71%, compared to 54% nationally. Students from high-minority schools completed degrees at 66%, compared to 23% nationally. These are among the largest gaps in the entire dataset. 

 

  • If NMSI Works With Teachers Rather Than Students Directly, Why Does That Produce Improved Student Outcomes?  NMSI’s model is built on the idea that equipping teachers with high-quality, sustained professional development creates a multiplier effect. A well-supported teacher can reach hundreds of students every year, across an entire career. The post-secondary data validates that model, showing that investment in educators generates measurable student outcomes that extend well beyond the classroom. 

 

  • Are These Results Consistent Across Years or Driven By One Strong Cohort?  The data spans 10 graduating classes from 2015 to 2024, and the outcomes are notably stable. Post-secondary enrollment ranged from 69% to 80% across cohorts. STEM degree attainment held between 44% and 49% for every class with complete data.