Hanover Research launches Career Outcomes Intelligence to help colleges and universities understand graduate outcomes. Comprehensive program-level insights reveal where graduates work, what they earn, and how graduate outcomes compare with peers. Oct. 22, 2026 Press Contacts ARLINGTON, Va. - Hanover Research (Hanover), a leading provider of higher education data and insights, has launched Career Outcomes Intelligence, a customized offering that provides comprehensive career outcomes insights. With program-level outcomes data, ROI estimates, and comparisons against selected peers, colleges and universities can inform academic portfolio decisions and strengthen their value proposition. "Students and families want to know where a degree can lead, while institutional leaders need better evidence when evaluating and discussing student outcomes," says Denton DeSotel, senior product director at Hanover Research. "Career Outcomes Intelligence gives higher education institutions a clear, credible way to answer these questions." Career Outcomes Intelligence enables institutions to: * Explore graduate outcomes by program, including top industries, employers, job titles, salary data, and employment locations. * Estimate program-level ROI by comparing degree costs with graduates' projected salary gains. * Benchmark outcomes against selected peers to identify comparative strengths and areas for improvement. * Examine outcomes across graduate cohorts to see how career results differ over time. * Track continued education by understanding the percentage of graduates who pursue additional degrees. "Institutions need more than broad career outcomes metrics. They need to understand what those outcomes mean for specific programs," says Sid Phillips, chief growth officer at Hanover Research. "Career Outcomes Intelligence brings together data from more than 100 million U.S.-based resumes and trusted public sources to reveal the career pathways associated with individual programs and put those outcomes into meaningful context."

New parentsquare and Hanover Research study: school Communication shapes whether families enroll, stay, and recommend their school. Oct 21, 2026, 09:00 ET Nearly 63% of parents said communication quality influenced the decision to keep their children at their current school. Full findings will be presented in a webinar today at noon PT. SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - ParentSquare, the leading family engagement platform, today published the K12 Parent Communication and Engagement Thought Leadership Survey, a national study of 1,000+ parents conducted with Hanover Research. The research examined how parents perceive communication from their child's school, including how communication influences school choice and satisfaction, what drives families to engage with schools and what gets in the way, and how parents view their child's attendance and the communication they receive about it. Beyond measuring perceptions, the survey asked parents directly what makes them feel informed and supported, and what would make communication about their child's attendance more helpful. "School-home communication is a core element of a child's success," said Anupama Vaid, President and Founder of ParentSquare. "This study gives district and school leaders a clear picture of what families value, directly from parents, and three places where a district can act right away." Three primary themes emerged. Communication quality is a driver of retention, enrollment, and advocacy. 63% of parents said communication quality influenced their decision to stay at a school, 56% said it influenced their decision to recommend a school, and 50% said it influenced their decision to enroll. Only school safety (94%), quality of teachers (92%), and academic performance (89%) rank higher than accessibility of communication (86%) among the factors parents weigh when choosing a school. Communication practices are also among the few school-choice factors a district can improve and measure within a semester as opposed to other operational and academic goals which may take much longer to implement. Personalization is essential to engagement. 85% of respondents stated that they trust school communication and 81% find it relevant, but only 68% say it feels personalized, the lowest score in the set. Parents most value communication about their own child. 64% of parents feel informed when schools provide updates about their child's academic progress, and 53% feel supported when teachers communicate how their child is doing. The findings point to relevance over volume: what makes the difference for parents is whether the message is about their child. Families have gaps in visibility into attendance information. 82% of parents say they are very familiar with their school's attendance policy, yet nearly one in four rarely or never hear from the school about their child's overall attendance, and 16% hear about it only when there is a problem. Only 59% of parents say their school often shares positive information about their child's attendance. 22% of parents say clearer explanations about the impact of absences would make attendance communication more helpful. Together, these findings point to a gap between what schools know about attendance and what families hear. More proactive and consistent attendance communication could help families recognize concerns earlier, understand why attendance matters, and be proactive in addressing it. "Northwest ISD works to stay ahead of parent concerns so we can meet the needs of our community," said Anthony Tosie, Executive Director of Communications at Northwest ISD in Texas and a member of the ParentSquare Advisory Council. "National data like this helps us see what families across the country are experiencing and how that may show up in our schools. The findings have already prompted us to look at our own parent surveys and find where we can do more for students and families." A full report on the findings will be presented by Hanover Research and ParentSquare in a webinar today, October 21, at 12:00 pm PT. Dena Salerno, Senior Director of Client Engagement at Hanover Research, will walk through the national results with ParentSquare's Janelle Raney, CMO, and Joel Hames, SVP, Product, who will provide insights about what the findings mean for district and school leaders. Registration is free and all attendees receive the full report. About the Study The Hanover Research analysis included 1,031 respondents with at least one student enrolled in grades K-12 at a public, private, or charter school, recruited through a third-party panel provider. The survey was fielded online in English and Spanish in July and August 2026. About ParentSquare ParentSquare is the leading family engagement platform, helping K-12 districts nationwide reach every family with an award-winning, all-in-one communication platform. Reaching over 22 million students, ParentSquare helps districts consolidate disconnected tools and outdated communication systems with personalized messaging, websites, forms, payments, attendance solutions, and more, in one easy-to-use platform. With powerful features for achieving 100% contactability, two-way translation into 190+ languages, and purpose-built AI enhancements, ParentSquare empowers districts to invite every family to be involved in their student's education, no matter their home language or the device they use. Recognized for growth and innovation by Inc. 5000, GSV 150, and more, ParentSquare was founded in 2011 in Santa Barbara, California. Learn more at parentsquare.com. About Hanover Research Founded in 2003, Hanover Research is a global research and analytics firm that delivers market intelligence through a unique, fixed-fee model to more than 1,000 clients. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Hanover employs high-caliber market researchers, analysts, and account executives to provide a service that is revolutionary in its combination of flexibility and affordability. Hanover has been named a Top 50 Market Research Firm by the American Marketing Association every year since 2015. To learn more about Hanover Research, visit www.hanoverresearch.com. SOURCE ParentSquare

Survey shows strong statewide awareness, positive perception of South Dakota State University. SDSU's recent efforts to enhance scholarships, reduce student debt goes against national averages and trends. A majority of South Dakotans responding to a new statewide survey about South Dakota State University have favorable opinions of the institution and the positive impact it's having on the state. The survey conducted by Hanover Research shows SDSU enjoys strong brand awareness and a positive reputation among South Dakotans, while reinforcing the university's continued efforts toward impacting the value of higher education for its students as they continue to meet the state's growing needs for workforce development. SDSU contracted with Hanover Research to examine perceptions of higher education in South Dakota and measure awareness, familiarity and perceptions of SDSU and peer institutions. The online survey, conducted in May and June 2026, included 548 respondents, 62% of whom have less than a bachelor's degree. The research found 92% awareness of SDSU, with 77% of respondents reporting a positive or very positive impression. SDSU also led its peer group in awareness, familiarity and overall impression. "The results of this survey reinforce the value and impact South Dakota State University has across South Dakota and the region," SDSU President Barry H. Dunn said. "SDSU has a responsibility to its land-grant mission of providing the benefits of higher education to those who seek it, and the more we can connect with South Dakota, the more positively they view our academic excellence, research, workforce development and impact on communities." South Dakotans most strongly associate SDSU with agriculture, healthcare and community impact, while also recognizing its contributions to rural development, engineering, business and teacher preparation. "SDSU's impact reaches far beyond our campus," Dunn said. "Our responsibility is to put the university's people and expertise to work and make South Dakota stronger by preparing our students to meet and solve the complex problems of a changing world." The survey also noted the broader perception on the value and affordability of higher education, a priority for SDSU during the past several years. According to the respondents, cost of living was identified as the greatest affordability barrier. SDSU has focused on numerous initiatives in this area during the past several years, including enhancing scholarship opportunities for students while continuing to find efficiencies in overall cost of attendance. SDSU's average federal debt per student is $20,609, or only 52% of the national average of $39,075. "We recognize South Dakotans are asking important questions about the cost and value of higher education," Dunn said. "Our responsibility is to keep an SDSU education accessible while providing a strong return on investment for our graduates and the communities they serve. This will continue to be a priority of our university and the South Dakota Board of Regents to provide the greatest return on investment for all students in our system." Athletics also plays a significant role in SDSU's reputation. Respondents said Jackrabbits Athletics positively impacts school pride, the local economy, perceptions of SDSU, student interest and national visibility. All of the findings will help inform SDSU's ongoing #GreaterSDState campaign, which highlights how the university's graduates, research, SDSU Extension and partnerships contribute to a stronger workforce, healthier communities and greater economic opportunity. SDSU's branding efforts last year produced nearly 137 million impressions while surpassing industry standards for brand engagement by more than 2%. "The SDSU brand is a reflection of our faculty and staff and their commitment to the students attending our university and the people we serve throughout the state every day," Dunn said. "We continue to strengthen a university that has existed for more than 140 years and serves a mission that provides opportunities and outcomes that benefit people of the state and beyond." Republishing You may republish SDSU News Center articles for free, online or in print. Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or 605-688-6161. Related Areas