opens in a new windowNew transfer data from the U.S. Education Department (ED) illustrate that most community college students who transfer to a four-year institution don’t attain a baccalaureate even within an eight-year window.
Only 13% of Title IV students who start at community colleges ultimately earn bachelor’s degrees within eight years, according to the data released during an opens in a new window ED transfer summit this month. And there’s considerable variation across states, with New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia and Kansas reaching or surpassing 15%. Lousiana, New Mexico, Indiana, Delaware and South Dakota all had rates below 8%.
ED also compiled a list of so-called dyads, which the department defines as a pair of institutions that includes a community college and a public or private four-year institution. It published the top baccalaureate-producing dyad in each state (see below), which more acutely shows room for growth, even among the strongest transfer partnerships.