AB 166

This bill requires University of Wisconsin System institutions, technical colleges, and private nonprofit colleges in this state (higher education institutions) to report cost and student outcome data that are ultimately made available as part of the academic and career planning services provided to high school juniors and seniors.

The bill requires higher education institutions to collect and annually report to the Higher Educational Aids Board all of the following information relating to their undergraduate degree programs: 1) the average salary of the institution’s graduates six months and, every fifth year, five years after graduation, in the aggregate and broken down by major; 2) the average debt of the institution’s students upon graduation or discontinuation of studies, in the aggregate and broken down by major; 3) the institution’s graduation rate, in the aggregate and broken down by major; 4) the institution’s annual total cost of attendance and average net cost; 5) the financial aid available to students; and 6) the 10 most popular degree programs offered by the institution. HEAB must incorporate the data from these reports into an electronic document formatted in a manner that facilitates comparison of information among higher education institutions. HEAB must annually provide this electronic document to the Department of Public Instruction with a list, prepared in cooperation with the Department of Workforce Development, of the 50 most in-demand jobs in this state, including the average starting salary and required education level for each job.

Under current law, the state superintendent of public instruction must ensure that each school board provides academic and career planning services to pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 12. Beginning in the 2027–28 school year, the bill requires the superintendent to provide the electronic document described above to school boards and requires school boards to provide the electronic document to high school juniors and seniors as part of the academic and career planning services provided to the pupils.