Wichita State University is one of more than 302 public four-year colleges and universities participating in an accountability project.

The new College Portrait Web site launching today (Monday, Sept. 29) is http://www.collegeportraits.org. It provides high school students, parents, guidance counselors and other stakeholders with access to basic, compatible information about student characteristics, costs, student experience and learning outcomes in a user-friendly format.

College Portrait is a product of the Voluntary System of Accountability project, a partnership between the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities with funding from Lumina Foundation for Education.

"The College Portrait places America's four-year public colleges and universities at the forefront of the higher education accountability movement," said Peter McPherson, president of NASULGC. "College Portrait is designed to be a trustworthy source of reliable data for prospective students, families, policymakers and the general public. It becomes the only voluntary accountability program that includes student learning outcomes and easily comparable information for a majority of the nation's four-year colleges and universities."

The Web site provides an overview of the College Portrait report and an interactive map with links to all participating four-year public colleges and universities.

College Portraits are divided into three sections: Student and Family Information, Student Experiences and Perceptions, and Student Learning Outcomes.

The three-page Student and Family Information section addresses issues such as cost of attendance, degree offerings, living arrangements, student characteristics, graduation rates, transfer rates and post-graduate plans.

The College Cost Calculator enables students and their families to accurately estimate the net cost of attending a participating college or university.

The Student Success and Progress Rate, using data from the National Student Clearinghouse, provides an accurate picture of student progress within the higher education system and offers a valuable alternative to the current method of reporting graduation rates.

Among Kansas schools, links to College Portrait are currently active for Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, University of Kansas, Washburn University and Wichita State University. All public universities in Kansas have committed to participating in the project.