Higher Ed Andrew Nichols Research Fellow

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 is available in September 2026 for the 2026-2027 academic year and may span the fall, winter, and spring terms. It is 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 areasCollect original qualitative data or administer survey researchAnalyze national datasets to identify barriers to access and success for students of color and low-income students in higher educationContribute to the improvement and updating of College Results, an interactive webtoolDevelop 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 studentsCollect literature and draft research to inform team projects and policy recommendationsDevelop tools and processes to aid postsecondary improvement effortsTranslate data and research into accessible, public-facing products, including dashboards, webtools, briefs, and content for digital and social media platformsSupport the design and implementation of efficient, reproducible workflows for data cleaning, analysis, and documentation across team projects IDEAL SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICSShared belief in EdTrust's mission and a commitment to improving educational equity with a focus on racial equityDedication in contributing to and maintaining an equitable working environmentStrong critical thinking skillsExcellent attention to detailAbility to do autonomous analytical work with dataStrong verbal and written communication skillsTeamwork skills and an eagerness for collaborationProblem-solving abilityWillingness to receive and act upon, as well as provide, constructive feedbackContinuous learnerExperience or interest in using digital platforms (including social media) to communicate data insights to broader audiencesInterest 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 preferredExperience in a research role, including quantitative data analysisExperience 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.