New America’s Higher Education team is made up of researchers, writers, and advocates from diverse backgrounds who analyze higher education’s most complex challenges. We work to make higher education more equitable, inclusive, and accountable—so that everyone can access affordable, high-quality education after high school. We are a voice for students in policy discussions dominated by institutional interests.

We believe in an inclusive higher education system with financial aid that expands opportunity, clear accountability for institutions and government, transparent information on costs and outcomes, and holistic support for today’s students both inside and outside the classroom.

Advancing community colleges is an important strategy for building a more equitable society. Our Community Colleges team works to increase equitable educational access, completion, and economic security.

To achieve these goals, we research and distill policy and practices that support equitable access, completion, and career advancement through community colleges. We also advocate for state and federal policy that supports community colleges and their students, and facilitate learning and innovation to scale solutions that address the most pressing challenges facing community college students and their institutions.

Future Security examines the future of global security in a rapidly changing world—reconsidering how the United States can approach security policy today to improve our preparedness for tomorrow. As a collaborative hub, we work with academics, journalists, former military, and civil society experts to tackle urgent challenges from domestic terrorism and climate change to pandemics, rising authoritarianism, and emerging technologies. In partnership with Arizona State University’s Future Security Initiative, we seek to generate transformative ideas and practical solutions grounded in concrete, interdisciplinary research to improve human flourishing and well-being.

By connecting New America’s policy expertise with Arizona State University’s research excellence, we combine groundbreaking reporting with open-source investigations, policy analysis, and case studies to develop a deeper understanding of pressing security issues and chart a new path forward. Working with ASU, our team also contributes to unique educational programming, from an online Master’s degree in global security to professional certificates in competitive statecraft, irregular warfare, and cybersecurity—linking cutting-edge academic research with practical applications. Together, we share our findings and expertise through public forums, live-streamed conversations, podcasts, and high-impact publications designed for diverse audiences, from students and community members to high-level government officials.