Applying Data Science to Business Decisions at Tarleton State University
Impact at a Glance
Created a data-informed framework for peer and aspirant benchmarking
Customized Power BI dashboards around institutional priorities
Expanded benchmarking beyond standard IPEDS data
Strengthened data literacy and data storytelling
Built capacity for data-informed strategic and financial decisions
The Challenge
Tarleton State University, a member of the Texas A&M University System with nearly 17,000 students, wanted to strengthen its benchmarking capabilities and make better use of institutional data to inform strategic decisions.
The university wanted to:
- Develop more meaningful peer and aspirant groups for benchmarking
- Identify measures aligned with institutional priorities
- Combine national and longitudinal data for deeper analysis
- Make benchmarking information easier for leaders to understand and use
- Strengthen data-informed conversations about student success and institutional performance
To support this work, Tarleton established an IPEDS Data Evaluation Task Force representing data, strategy, marketing, and enrollment leadership.
The Action
Tarleton used NACUBO’s IPEDS Peer Benchmarking Dashboards to build a customized benchmarking tool focused on the university and its selected peer and aspirant institutions.
The university:
- Customized the Power BI starter template to reflect institutional needs
- Selected peer and aspirant groups using criteria tied to student success, academic distinction, research, institutional prominence, and financial impact
- Added metrics aligned with Tarleton’s mission and strategic priorities
- Expanded the dashboards to include additional years of IPEDS data
- Incorporated information from other data sources
- Created tailored visualizations to provide stakeholders with relevant, actionable insights
The customized approach expanded the depth of Tarleton’s benchmarking analysis while making the information easier for stakeholders to use.
The Results
Immediate Impact
- Expanded Tarleton’s Power BI capabilities with customized benchmarking dashboards
- Enabled leaders to visually compare Tarleton with selected peer and aspirant institutions
- Provided standardized data for comparing staffing and expenses across different enrollment levels and Carnegie classifications
- Increased access to benchmarking measures tied to student success and institutional priorities
Process Improvements
- Strengthened data literacy and data storytelling across the university
- Reduced the learning curve for using Power BI through an adaptable starter template
- Expanded benchmarking analysis with additional years and data sources
- Created a stronger foundation for data-informed strategic and financial decision-making
Ongoing Momentum
- Continue using data visualizations to strengthen data literacy
- Use benchmarking insights to inform strategic finance efforts
- Support critical conversations about student success and institutional performance
- Expand data storytelling across the university
- Strengthen a culture of data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement
“The IPEDS dashboards provide Tarleton with standardized data that enables our leadership to visually compare Tarleton to our peers and aspirants. Tarleton is rapidly growing. Therefore, it is very helpful to compare staffing and expense data for different enrollment levels, ...”
Jo Ann KernDirector, Office of Transformation Realization
Related Use Cases
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Leveraging Collaboration with Academic Leadership to Improve Resource Allocation
