Community colleges have long been regarded as the great access point in American higher education. Data just released by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) show that these institutions are also the preferred destination for the more than 32% of all new college students who subsequently enroll in another institution of higher education.
The data released today are dramatic, although they reflect patterns witnessed for some time by many community colleges. NSC reports that 51.9% of all students who transfer from 4-year public institutions do so to a community college. Moreover, 41.4% of all students who transfer from 4-year nonprofit colleges subsequently enroll at a community college.
Ironically, students from all sectors in higher education are most likely to transfer into a community college, with the exception of community college students, who most frequently transfer to 4-year public institutions (41.2%). However, nearly as many students who start at a community college, 37.6%, subsequently enroll in another community college.