Institutions that predominantly offer associate degrees or certificates often have a higher return on investment (ROI) after 10 years than institutions that predominantly offer bachelor’s degrees. However, over 40 years, the value of bachelor’s degrees typically outpaces those of institutions that predominantly offer associate degrees and certificates. (See graph, below.) The findings come from the […]
DataPoints: Post-Covid grad, success rates
Community college completion rates and overall success rates (completion or transfer or still enrolled at the same institution) showed an increase in data recently released by the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES). The data represent the rate of first-time, full-time students who began their education at a public, non-baccalaureate degree-granting community college. Graduation (completion) includes students […]
DataPoints: Serving students with disabilities
The percentage of public community colleges with more than 3% of their students reporting a disability has decreased slightly, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Education. In the 2020-21 academic year, 41.3% of community colleges indicated more the 3% of their students had reported a disability, dropping to 39.2% of the colleges in 2021-22. […]
DataPoints: CC baccalaureates by race/ethnicity
Minority-serving institutions (MSIs) comprise half of the nation’s community colleges that offer bachelor’s degrees, according to recent research. Of the 187 higher education institutions approved to confer community college baccalaureates (CCB) in 2023, 94 were MSIs, and 93 were predominantly White institutions, says the report from the Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCBA) and its research partner Bragg & Associates. […]
DataPoints: Dual enrollment and postsecondary outcomes
Dual enrolment (high school students taking college courses) has increased dramatically over the past two decades. Some community colleges report that more than half of their students are still enrolled in high school. However, data have suggested that access and success of students in dual-enrollment programs is not necessarily equitable. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) […]
DataPoints: What types of credentials do Black graduates earn?
We know about gaps in enrollment and graduation rates for Black students, but what about those who do finish? What types of credentials are they receiving compared to the graduating cohort as a whole? In 2022, public institutions in the “primarily associate” and “associate and certificate” categories awarded about 1.5 million credentials, according to an […]
DataPoints: Associate attainment in Appalachia
Appalachia has a higher percentage of working-age adults with an associate degree but no bachelor’s degree than the national average, according to a new federal report that examines trends in the Appalachia region. In 2016-20, 10.2% of adults ages 25 to 64 in Appalachia had an associate degree but not a baccalaureate, compared to 9.3% nationally, shows […]
DataPoints: ATE in action
DataPoints: ATE in action The National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program awards grants to support a wide variety of efforts to improve technician education at public two-year colleges in fields ranging from advanced manufacturing and engineering, to nanotechnology and biotechnology, to agriculture and environmental sciences, and more. The program supports curriculum development, professional […]
DataPoints: Student supports in recruiting, enrolling and retaining
Increasing enrollment (87%) and retention rates (78%) remain top-tier concerns for community college leaders, according to a new report based on a fall 2021 survey of two-year college officials. Increasing graduation rates (59%) was third, followed by reducing equity gaps (57%) and re-engaging lapsed students (52%). Seven in 10 survey participants said that holistic student support was […]
DataPoints: The community college baccalaureate landscape
Nearly half of all states (24) have authorized at least some community colleges to confer bachelor’s degrees, according to a recent analysis by New America. The heaviest concentration of those states are in the West, with 15 of the states located west of the Mississippi River. Early adopters such as Georgia, Washington and Florida have […]