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Measuring non-degree credential quality through real outcomes.

Education Quality Outcomes Standards (EQOS) is an independent non-profit organization pioneering a new way to measure the quality of non-degree credentials through proven outcomes.

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A novel approach to assess credential quality.

EQOS uses real-world outcomes of workers and learners to measure credential quality. We help employers, workers, providers, and investors turn credential quality into opportunity. Through a three-pillar approach, EQOS is building:

A first-of-its-kind, outcomes-based Signal of Quality
Tools and resources that scale impact
A national coalition around non-degree credential quality

About our approach

1M⁺

There are more than one million credentials in the U.S. ¹

62^%

of Americans over 25 do not have a bachelor's degree (yet 45% of job postings require a bachelor's degree) ²

70^%

of U.S. employers report difficulty in filling roles ³

52^%

of workers with bachelor's degrees are underemployed a year after graduation ⁴

^{1, 2, 4}The Burning Glass Institute. “The Importance of Understanding Non-Degree Credential Quality.”³ManPowerGroup. “2024 Global Talent Shortage.”

Why measuring credential quality matters.

If skills are the new currency of the modern labor market, then we need a new way to evaluate non-degree credential quality. This way, workers can choose the best-suited credential to gain the skills they need, and employers have an accurate way to compare credentials and assess workers’ skills outside of college degrees.

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Join the EQOS Action Network

We partner with employers, providers, researchers, intermediaries, policymakers, and investors to help implement quality standards and drive innovation in the non-degree credential marketplace.

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