The Guide to Measuring Learner Outcomes That Actually Matter

For today’s credentialing programs, issuing a digital certificate or badge is no longer the finish line — it’s just the beginning. Learners earn credentials to advance their careers, build confidence in their skills, and unlock new opportunities. But how do you know if your program delivers on that promise?

That’s the challenge. Measuring learner outcomes — especially for non-credit, alternative, or employer-driven programs — is hard. There’s rarely a built-in way to track what happens after completion, forcing many credentialing teams to rely on anecdotal evidence rather than rigorous data.

Programs require a feedback loop tailored to their reality: lean teams, tight budgets, and external stakeholders who still expect proof of impact. That disconnect doesn't just limit your data — it weakens your ability to secure funding, attract new learners, and improve what comes next.

This guide will help you identify which learner outcomes to focus on, how to measure them realistically, and how to act on what you learn. We’ll even provide a free post-completion survey template — a plug-and-play tool you can start using immediately to gather insights and demonstrate the value of your program.

Why Measuring Learner Outcomes Matters

Today’s learners are looking for proof. They want to know: What will I gain from this credential? Will it help me get hired, promoted, or grow professionally?

According to Strada Education Foundation, career advancement is one of the top motivators for enrolling in non-degree programs. However, many institutions and providers lack a reliable method for tracking whether learners achieve those outcomes.

Other research, such as Work Shift’s review and the CredLens project by the nonprofit Education Quality Outcomes Standards Board (EQOS), reveals how rare it is for non-degree programs to collect consistent and actionable outcome data.

Still, programs that do measure outcomes have a significant advantage. They can:

• Prove program value to learners, employers, and funders
• Improve curriculum based on real learner feedback
• Identify top-performing programs and pathways
• Source testimonials and success stories for marketing
• Strengthen alumni relationships and drive reenrollment

What You Can Measure (and What to Prioritize)

You don’t need a massive research team to measure outcomes, but you do need to be clear on what matters most to your stakeholders. Start by identifying the types of learner impact that align with your goals:

• Career movement: Did the learner get a new job, a promotion, or start a business?
• Skills application: Are they using what they learned in their current role?
• Continued learning: Did they pursue another credential or enroll in a follow-on program?
• Satisfaction and advocacy: Did they find the program valuable? Would they recommend it?
• Credential sharing and usage: Are they actively sharing their credential to signal skills or boost their visibility?

Once you know what to measure, you can decide how best to capture it — through surveys, analytics, interviews, or employer feedback.

Ways to Measure Learner Outcomes

There is no single way to capture learner outcomes, and the best programs often employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Depending on your resources and goals, you might draw from:

• Follow-up interviews with learners, alumni, or employers
• Feedback surveys at multiple points (e.g., end of course, 6–12 months post-completion)
• LMS data to track engagement, mastery, and completion
• Employer or manager feedback to validate real-world skill application
• Continuing education tracking to see if learners pursue additional programs
• Testimonial or story collection from successful alumni

With a digital credential platform like Accredible, you can also gain visibility into learner engagement and program performance through real-time data — like credential shares, views, referrals, learning pathway completions or drop-offs, and more. This behavioral insight is critical for refining strategies and demonstrating program ROI.

However, while each method has value, many teams require a scalable and repeatable way to consistently gather outcome data, especially after learners have had time to apply what they have learned.

That’s where a post-completion learner survey comes in.

Introducing the Learner Outcomes & Experience Survey

To make it easy to start measuring impact, we’ve created a free survey template designed specifically for credentialing programs.

This modular survey is intended to be sent 6–12 months after program completion, when learners have had time to apply what they have learned. It asks them about their original goals, their achievements, and how satisfied they are with the experience.

It’s available in two formats:

• Google Doc — Start by copying the template to your Drive or downloading it as a Word document. From there, you can tailor the language, remove or add sections, and adapt the tone to your brand. This version best suits teams that want to review and revise collaboratively or input questions into a separate survey platform (e.g., Qualtrics, Typeform, or your LMS).
• Google Form — Clone the ready-to-use form, customize the questions and branding, and share the link with learners. You can even connect it to a Google Sheet, making it easy to analyze and share results.

A few example questions:

• "What part of the course or program was most valuable to you — and why?”
• "Since completing the program, have you experienced any of the following? (e.g., promotion, job change, applied new skills)"
• “What specific skills from the program are you applying most often in your work or daily life?”
• "How satisfied are you with how the program helped you achieve your goals?"

Even a few responses can yield compelling quotes, proof points, and trends you can use to refine your offerings or strengthen your pitch to stakeholders.

Once customized, you can send the survey manually or connect to Accredible’s Email Campaigns to send it automatically after a set period (e.g., 6 months post-credential).

Best Practices for Learner Survey Rollout

• Send 6–12 months post-completion — long enough for outcomes to emerge, but not so long that learners forget the experience.  
• Keep it short and frictionless — every extra question reduces the likelihood of completion.  
• Include a personal intro — a note from the instructor or program director adds authenticity.  
• Offer an optional incentive — a gift card drawing or spotlight feature can boost responses.
• Send reminders — a single follow-up email a few days after the first can significantly boost response rates.
• Use multiple channels — email works well, but some issuers also send links via LMS announcements, alumni newsletters, or even SMS for mobile-first learners.
• Don’t wait for perfect data — directionally helpful feedback is better than nothing. Look for themes, not perfection.
• Analyze and share back — close the loop by showcasing how learner feedback is helping shape future offerings.

Even with best practices, response rates may vary — but 10–25% is typical with a well-timed, short survey.

Automate Outreach With Accredible Email Campaigns

If you're already issuing digital credentials through Accredible, the good news is that sending this survey can be fully automated.

With Email Campaigns, you can create a custom learner outcomes message and schedule it to send automatically (e.g., 6 months after a credential is issued). That way, you collect post-completion feedback at scale, without the ongoing lift.

With this automation, you can:

• Customize your email message and branding
• Deliver your survey at a consistent, optimal time
• Start capturing learner outcomes — without chasing responses manually

How to Use the Survey Results

Collecting feedback is only the first step. Once you have responses, here’s how to turn them into action:

• Spot trends in learner goals and satisfaction to inform future course design and delivery.
• Pull testimonials and success stories for marketing, credential directories, and enrollment campaigns.
• Track outcomes across programs to identify which learning paths yield the strongest post-completion impact.
• Support external reporting with aggregated insights for funders, accreditors, or employer partners.
• Close the loop by sharing top-level findings with learners or alumni to strengthen engagement.
• Demonstrate responsiveness by highlighting how feedback has led to specific improvements in your program. Letting learners know "you said, we did" builds trust and increases future survey participation.

Ready to Start Measuring Real Impact?

The Learner Outcomes & Experience Survey gives you a streamlined way to capture what happens after the credential and use those insights to grow your program and deepen learner trust.

Use the Google Doc to revise the survey collaboratively, or adapt it for another survey tool. Use the Google Form to quickly launch and collect responses.

Get started in 3 simple steps:

1. Copy the Google Doc or Google Form version of the survey
2. Customize it to reflect your program’s goals and learner experience
3. Schedule it to send 6–12 months after credential completion

‍Want to see it in action? Watch our 30-minute on-demand webinar, Measuring Credential Value & Learner Outcomes, where we walk through how to launch the survey, automate delivery, and use outcomes data to improve your programs and prove credential value.

Or request a 1:1 consultation and demo with an Accredible digital credentialing specialist, and we’ll help you set it up for your program.