We’re moving ahead with Dataset #4 of Season 4, and this one shines a light on the education pipeline and what happens after graduation. Say hello to the Illinois University Student Outcomes dataset, designed to explore student performance, demographics, and early career paths. Of course… this is FAKE DATA, but we wanted a location to center around.
Whether you’re an education analyst, Tableau beginner, or data storytelling veteran, this dataset is loaded with dimensions and metrics to dig into outcomes across majors, demographics, and post-grad decisions.
What’s in the Data?
This dataset is modeled after institutional research and career services exports you might see from universities, then fictionalized and cleaned for public use.
Key Dimensions:
- Student ID, Institution, Campus Location
- Degree Program (STEM, Business, Arts & Humanities, Education, etc.)
- Demographics: Gender, Ethnicity, Age, Family Income, First-Gen Status
- Academic Records: GPA (start, mid, final), Credits Completed, High School GPA
- Engagement: Internships, Study Abroad, Extracurriculars, On-Campus Employment
Career Outcomes:
- Employment Status (6 months and 1 year after graduation)
- First Job Title, Industry, Salary, Job Location
- Graduate School Enrollment + Field of Study
- Job Satisfaction and Alignment with Major
Why It’s Useful
This dataset is a sandbox for anyone who wants to explore student success and post-grad pathways. You can analyze everything from GPA growth and attrition risk to career alignment and income disparities.
The combination of academic journey + career outcomes creates plenty of hooks for compelling dashboards and storytelling.
Need Ideas? Here are Some Use Cases
- Equity Dashboards: Compare outcomes across gender, ethnicity, or first-generation college status
- GPA Trajectory Analysis: Visualize academic growth (start → mid → final GPA) by major or demographic
- Career Alignment: Explore how many grads land jobs in their field of study vs. outside of it
- Salary Distribution: Slice starting salaries by program, income bracket, or extracurricular participation
- Graduate School Trends: Who pursues advanced degrees, and in what fields?
- Student Engagement Impact: Measure how internships or study abroad programs influence career success
Looking for a Challenge?
Here are a few builds to try:
- A career outcomes explorer with filters for degree, demographics, and GPA ranges
- A salary vs. satisfaction scatterplot segmented by major
- A graduate school decision tree showing who continues their education
- A GPA funnel viz (start → mid → final) with dropout/attrition analysis
- A first-job heatmap by industry and region
Get the Data, Share Your Build
The dataset is ready for download and open to all. Build something impactful, creative, or just plain fun—the only rule: tell a good data story.
📌 Don’t forget to tag your projects: #RWFD and #Tableau