Research

The Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE) was established in 1957 by the Regents of the University of California, with the support of a grant from the Carnegie Corporation, as the first research unit in the United States solely devoted to the study of higher education policy issues.

Reflecting its original charge, CSHE: 1) pursues multidisciplinary research and supports a network of scholars; 2) serves as a hub of research on higher education for the multi-campus University of California system and internationally; 3) organizes events and a visiting scholars program; 4) acts as a forum for policy discussions 4) generates publications and other forms of dissemination of the work of researchers and practitioners; 5) provides programs to support young researchers and to develop the next generation of academic leaders.

The convergence of such issues as growing inequality in much of the world, politicalization of policy debates, attacks on academic freedom, declines in public funding, and changing demographics, present serious challenges for higher education in California, the nation, and the world. CSHE is addressing these issues through individual research and publications by staff and associates, and through research programs that foster discussions and demonstrate applications of solutions.

CSHE is an Organized Research Unit (ORU) at UC Berkeley. 

Research Interests at CSHE

  • Academic Freedom
  • Greater Access to Higher Education
  • Admissions Policies
  • Student Experiences and Outcomes
  • Neo-Nationalism/The Role of Universities in Promoting Democracy Internationalization
  • History of the University of California
  • Women and Minorities in Higher Education
  • California’s Master Plan for Higher Education
  • Higher Education Governance and Finance
  • Curricular Evolution in Relation to Emerging Research and Society’s Needs and Values

The Student Experience in the Research University

CURRENT PROJECTS:

Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Consortium

The History and Future of the University of California

CURRENT PROJECTS:

University of California ClioMetric History Project

CSHE University of California History Websource

150 Years of Women at Berkeley 

College Admission and Social Justice

CURRENT PROJECTS:

Standardized Testing 

College Choice and Wage-by-Major Statistics

Hispanic Serving Institutions 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Academic Freedom in Higher Education 

International Higher Education

CURRENT PROJECTS:

Political Economy of International Student Mobility 

College Students' Experiences in Cross-National Contexts 

International Undergraduate and Graduate Education

150 Years of Women at Berkeley

CURRENT PROJECTS:

150 Women at Berkeley 

Past CSHE Research Projects

Research Universities Going Global 

Evolving Public Role of Universities in Chile and California

Humanities and Liberal Arts in Public Research Universities

The New Flagship University Project

Pension Reform in Higher Education

Cost Drivers and Alternative Funding Strategies in Higher Education

Employee Benefit Costs at the University of California and California State

University Governance

The Future of Scholarly Communication

Higher Education in the Digital Age

Chronicle of the University of California (Suspended)

Mission and Financial Sustainability of Public Research Universities

The President and the UC System

Project on UC Merced

Clark Kerr Memoirs

Organizing Knowledge: Perspectives on the University

The University of Califoirnia and the Sierra Club

Access of Ethnic Minorities to Higher Education

Community College Transfers and Science Bachelor's Degree

Approaches to Engineering Education