Despite the economic and social returns of higher education for rural individuals and communities, college enrollment and college completion rates remain low in rural areas. Families in these regions often cite barriers such as geography, finances, and fears of leaving home as obstacles to college attendance and completion. In addition, researchers have historically understudied rural higher education, leaving many rural colleges without concrete best practices that meet their unique needs. High-quality, pragmatic education research designed in partnership with rural communities is one strategy to help practitioners strengthen their ability to successfully support prospective and current college students in rural communities.

For the first time, in 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences awarded its Rural Education Research and Development Center funding to a team focused on postsecondary education rather than K-12 education. The National Rural Higher Education Research Center, led by MDRC with research and practitioner partners across the country, will answer important questions about how to support rural students, rural colleges, and rural workforce development.

This unprecedented effort reflects the great need for research to support rural students navigating all types of higher education, whether they are moving away to pursue a traditional on-campus bachelor’s degree, commuting to a community college’s small satellite campus for two classes at a time, or enrolling in a short-term training program aligned to local labor market needs. This brief discusses why the topic of rural higher education demands national attention, how rural education research has not yet met the needs of rural families, and how the eight constituent studies within the research center will contribute vital knowledge to help rural Americans achieve their postsecondary and economic goals.