Key Performance Indicators

Key performance indicators (KPIs), as considered here, are numerical values that allow the relative performance of systems to be considered. Studying KPIs allows us to direct an analytical light on the operations of higher education institutions. What began as a narrow, technical issue around the collection and presentation of management data has significantly contributed to, in many parts of the world, changed attitudes towards higher education on the part of students, academics, governments, and the general public. As with most data, the conclusions to be drawn from them may not be straightforward. Technical, academic, and political issues have become intertwined. This was, broadly speaking, neither intended nor expected at the outset. This entry discusses the development of KPIs, how KPIs are used, and their relationship ...