Measuring learning at the collegiate level has long posed many problems. For one thing, there are so many different majors, each with their own body of knowledge. Plus the curricula in the same subject at different schools may vary widely, making the sort of standardized testing that works at the high school level less viable in higher education.

It is still possible to measure the gain in general skills, though. But historically, universities, particularly the faculty, have resisted the measurement of learning outcomes (or the publication of the results when such measurement occurs.)

And that may be with good reason. Jesse Saffron takes a look at the various types of learning outcomes measurement and finds that the results are frequently dismal, such as only 16 percent of seniors demonstrating an ability to think critically at the expected level of a graduate at a highly regarded flagship university.

With higher education’s value–added in question and rising costs, learning outcomes measurement is becoming more prevalent and will likely be universal in the near future.