A statistic is a promise of proof. The purpose of a statistics component is to give a website visitor a quick, credible reason to keep reading, apply, give, or get in touch.

Used well, a few strong numbers build trust and make your story concrete. Without best practices, they become decoration that visitors skim past or, worse, doubt. The more relevant, specific, and verifiable your statistics are, the more effective they will be.

Before choosing statistics for your website

Start with your audience

Ask what a prospective student, parent, donor, or collaborator needs to believe before they take the next step, then pick numbers that answer that question.

Focus on outcomes over inputs

Results (graduates employed or in graduate school, students doing research, internships completed) persuade more than totals that only describe size (number of buildings, number of courses).

Think of what is specific and checkable

A precise, sourced figure with a date reads as more trustworthy than a round, unsupported claim.

Pick the right statistics for your page

Match the number to the page goal

A degree program page might feature job placement and research participation. A giving page might feature scholarship dollars awarded. A department home page might feature faculty-to-student ratio or study abroad participation.

96 %

of graduates employed or in graduate school within 6 months

2024 data

Choose numbers a visitor can picture

"1 in 3 majors completes an undergraduate research project" is easier to grasp than a large aggregate with no scale.

20:1

Student-to-faculty ratio

Look for what is distinctive

If every university could make the claim, it will not set you apart. Prioritize facts that are true of your unit specifically.

# 4

Best graduate program

Per U.S. News and World Report 2026

Use 3 or 4 statistics at most per page

Fewer numbers get more attention. If you have ten good statistics, spread them across pages where each one supports the surrounding content.

Mix the types

Pair a hard outcome (percentage, dollar amount) with a human-scale number (class size, ratio) to give a fuller picture.

33 %

of majors take part in undergraduate research

Pick numbers you can keep current

If you cannot commit to refreshing a figure on a schedule, choose something more stable or leave it out.

$ 1 M

in scholarships awarded to majors

2026 data

Use official sources

Pull figures from the CLAS Dean's Dashboard, the Office of the Registrar, the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, or your own program records so they match what the university reports elsewhere.

96 %

of grads employed or continuing education

Reporting related to graduates from summer 2024–spring 2025

Know when a story works better

Some of your best evidence is a person, not a number. Consider a student or alumni profile instead of, or alongside, a statistic.

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Avoid these practices

Don't use vague or inflated claims.

Avoid "world-class," "countless," or "thousands of opportunities" with no figure behind them.

TOP-NOTCH

Job placement

Don't publish a number you cannot source.

If you can't point to where it came from, don't use it.

100 s

of amazing opportunities

Don't make ranking claims without detail.

Name the ranking, the organization, the category, and the year, and make sure you have the right to use it.

# 1

Best program around

Don't overload the component.

Five or more numbers compete with each other and none sticks.

9/16/26

Upcoming career fair

Pre-publishing checklist

  1. Does this statistic support the goal of this page?
  2. Can you name the source and the year of the data point?
  3. Is it clear who or what is being counted?
  4. Would a skeptical visitor find it believable?
  5. Do you know when you will review it next?
  6. Does the label make sense without seeing the layout of the page?
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Additional support

Resources for additional learning