A worked domain · Illustrative composite
What one completed domain looks like
Domain 4, affordability, value, completion, and repayment, completed for Example College. Example College does not exist. Every figure on this page is invented for illustration and belongs to no institution. The point is the shape of the work: which claims survive, which narrow, which become commitments.
Example College (composite): an open-access, four-year public institution with 2,400 students, 14 fields of study reported to College Scorecard, and no first-destination survey since 2023.
The eight fields
- 1. Asked
Question 4 asks how the institution will "ensure that families can access affordable, high-return, degrees," and what it will do to "contain costs, improve pricing transparency," and ensure that "every academic program equips students to repay their loans."
- 2. Gets right
Cost, completion, and earnings by program are legitimate public questions, and families deserve the numbers.
- 3. Assumes
That loan repayment is the primary measure of value. Repayment matters. For an institution whose graduates enter licensure and public-service fields, completion, licensure, and public contribution are also part of the record, and the statement says so with evidence rather than as a defense.
- 4. Can prove
Net price by income band (College Scorecard, E5). Six-year completion rate (IPEDS, E5). Median earnings 4 years after entry, institution-wide (College Scorecard, E5). Program-level median earnings for 9 of 14 fields of study (College Scorecard field-of-study data, E5). Tuition unchanged for 3 consecutive years (board minutes and published tuition schedule, E3).
- 5. Cannot yet prove
Program-level placement (no survey since 2023, E0). "Graduates leave with manageable debt" (borrowing by program not compiled, E2 at best). Earnings for 5 fields of study suppressed for small cohorts (no public figure).
- 6. Adverse evidence
Two programs, an associate degree in human services and a bachelor's degree in studio art, show median earnings below the state threshold in the most recent Scorecard cohort. Parent PLUS borrowing rose 18% over 3 years while tuition was flat.
- 7. Will do
Publish a program-level cost, completion, and earnings page for all 14 fields by November 15, 2026 (owner: Vice President for Enrollment with the Director of Institutional Research). Bring a portfolio review of the two below-threshold programs to the board with recommendations by February 2027 (owner: Provost). Reinstate the first-destination survey for the class of 2027 (owner: Director of Career Services; baseline: none; first results by December 2027).
- 8. Will publish
The program page and the evidence appendix at [URL] with the December 31, 2026 statement; progress reported to the finance committee each quarter and posted at the same URL.
The claim register, Domain 4
| Claim | Code | Source | Period | Owner | Known limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price for families earning under $30,000 was $6,900 | E5 | College Scorecard | 2024–25 | Financial aid | Excludes students who did not receive Title IV aid |
| Six-year completion rate is 41% | E5 | IPEDS Graduation Rates | 2018 cohort | Institutional Research | First-time, full-time cohort only; transfers-out not counted as completers |
| Median earnings 4 years after entry are $38,400 | E5 | College Scorecard | Most recent cohort | Institutional Research | Includes non-completers; institution-wide, not by program |
| Tuition has been unchanged for 3 years | E3 | Board minutes; tuition schedule | 2024–25 to 2026–27 | Chief Financial Officer | Fees rose 4% over the same period |
| Our programs lead to employment | E0 | None | None | Career Services | No placement data since 2023; not publishable as fact |
The contradiction ledger, Domain 4
| Public claim | Contradiction found | Evidence reviewed | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Our degrees are affordable." | Parent PLUS borrowing up 18% in 3 years; fees up 4% while tuition was flat | NSLDS borrowing by year; fee schedule | Narrow the claim to net price by income band; disclose the borrowing trend; commit to a borrowing review |
| "Every program equips students to repay their loans." | 2 of 14 fields below the state earnings threshold; 5 fields suppressed | Scorecard field-of-study earnings | Do not publish the absolute; publish the program page; bring the two programs to the board |
| "Our programs lead to employment." | No program-level placement data | Career services records | Reclassify as a commitment; reinstate the survey |
How three draft sentences change
- Draft
"Our degrees are affordable, and every program leads to a good job."
- Verdict
Not publishable as fact. "Affordable" has no measure; "every program" is an absolute at E0 for placement and contradicted at E5 for two fields.
- Published
"For students from families earning under $30,000, our net price was $6,900 in 2024–25 (College Scorecard). Median earnings 4 years after entry were $38,400. Program-level earnings for 9 of our 14 fields of study are published at [URL]. Two fields fall below the state threshold; both are under review, with recommendations due to the board by February 2027. We do not yet have program-level placement data; the first-destination survey resumes for the class of 2027."
The published version is longer, and it can be checked by any reader against College Scorecard. That is the trade the Ledger asks for: fewer adjectives, more figures, and every figure with a source.
Test your own sentence with the Integrity Check. The blank fields for all seven domains are in the workbook.