Our mission is to produce and elevate research to reduce barriers, improve equity, and support student success in higher education. We do this through intentional partnerships with practitioners and policymakers in the field.
About the Lab
We believe that better academic research can expand college access and student success in lasting ways. We do this by collaborating with practitioners to develop and implement research studies addressing their specific needs and capacity constraints.
Research Areas
The SSTAR Lab conducts original research and evaluation on issues related to college opportunity and student success. Across all our work, we prioritize the practical side of research and promote ongoing improvement to better support current and future students.
SSTAR Lab Blog
We use this platform to share current research and practical insights to reduce barriers, improve equity, and support student success in higher education. Whether you’re a researcher, practitioner, policymaker, or just someone interested in higher education research, we hope you find this site informative and useful!
SSTAR Lab in the News
UW report explores how to address funding disparities in higher education
Wisconsin Public Radio Central Time (Jan 30,2024)
New report outlines how ‘equity-based’ funding could close higher education achievement gaps
UW-Madison News (Jan 10, 2024)
More than 12k Wisconsinites to see student loan forgiveness under changes to income-based repayment plans
Wisconsin Public Radio News (Aug 24, 2023)
A Viewer’s Guide to Today’s Supreme Court Hearing
Inside Higher Ed (Feb 27, 2023)