State Opportunity
Index Survey
Welcome to the State Opportunity Index (SOI) Survey. This free, research-backed resource is designed to help institutions support students in achieving success beyond graduation.
Developed by Strada Education Foundation and administered by Trellis Strategies, the SOI Survey provides a framework for evaluating and improving the connection between education and opportunity.
What Does the SOI Survey Cover?
The State Opportunity Index (SOI) Survey offers actionable insights into how institutions support students as they navigate their education-to-career pathways. These focus areas reflect essential support students need to thrive—not just in college, but in their careers. By measuring institutional progress across each category, the SOI Survey helps identify opportunities for improvement and highlights emerging best practices, including differences by field of study and demographic group that can inform resource prioritization.
Quality Coaching
Examines the level, timing, and quality of career information, personalized guidance, and support for students, as well as where students turn when seeking information on what to study.
Affordability
Explores how time-to-completion impacts affordability by looking at experiences like dual enrollment, transfer credits, or other forms of credit for prior learning, and expected graduation timelines.
Work-Based Learning
Captures student participation in career-connected experiences like internships, apprenticeships, co-ops, practica, and undergraduate research. The survey also evaluates whether student experiences were paid, and/or credit-bearing, and whether they took place in the same state as their college. In addition, the survey examines student work more broadly, including the types of jobs students are employed in, both on- and off-campus, and the relevance of these jobs to their career aspirations.
Perceptions of Value
Measures how students perceive the return on investment of their education, including satisfaction with workforce preparation, whether they believe their education was worth the cost, and their post-graduation plans.
Non-Degree Credentials
Investigates the pursuit of industry-recognized credentials, including types, timing, and student goals.
Student Profile & Outcomes
Captures demographic, academic, and enrollment characteristics, including:
- Field of study
- Race/ethnicity, gender, and age
- Parental education
- Parenting and veteran status
- In-state, online, and full-time/part-time status
What Your Institution Receives
Upon completion of the SOI Survey, your institution gains access to a comprehensive suite of resources designed to inform strategy and provide actionable insights. These resources include:
Personalized Insights & Recommendations
A detailed report highlighting key findings from your students’ responses, including strengths and areas for improvement.
Peer Benchmarking
Comparative insights showing how your institution compares with peer institutions statewide and nationally.
Full Survey Frequencies
Complete response distributions for every survey item, allowing for deeper analysis and understanding.
Campus Infographic
A digestible, visual summary of findings to support communication with students, faculty, staff, and leadership.
De-identified Data File
A de-identified dataset for custom analysis while protecting student privacy.
Strada Education Foundation and Trellis Strategies
Direct access to our combined team of experts to help interpret results and guide strategic planning.
Together, these resources support collaboration across departments, inform institutional decision-making, and spark meaningful conversations about improving student success from enrollment through career entry.
Benefits of Participation
Success in higher education includes ensuring students have the guidance, resources, and real-world experiences to thrive after graduation.
The State Opportunity Index Survey enables colleges and universities to benchmark key indicators—such as quality coaching, affordability, work-based learning, and perceptions of value—against peer institutions across their state and the nation. These comparisons help identify programmatic gaps, highlight institutional strengths, and inform targeted improvements.
Results from the SOI are helping institutions nationwide drive strategic change, strengthen student success initiatives, and improve career-connected outcomes as well as empowering institutions, policymakers, and communities to make data-informed decisions that foster equitable pathways to opportunity.
We hope you will join with your peers across the nation in learning how your students are experiencing their education-to-career pathway. We are grateful to support the hundreds of public institutions leading the way.
Participate in the Free State Opportunity Index Survey
Submit your contact information to take the first step toward potential participation.
This form does not automatically enroll you. Instead, it allows us to reach out and guide you through the process. Our team will be in touch soon to discuss the survey details.
We appreciate your interest and look forward to your potential involvement!
Upcoming Dates
- Complete Steps to Participate: April 30, 2026
- Survey Opens: March 2, 2026
- Survey Closes: June 5, 2026
Available Survey Windows
- March 2 – March 23
- March 23 – April 13
- March 30 – April 20
- April 6 – April 27
- April 20 – May 11
- May 4 – May 25
- May 19 – June 5
