Community colleges are a vital part of America’s opportunity structure, not least because they often provide a way into higher education for adults fromless advantaged backgrounds. Each year there are around 10 million undergraduates enrolled at public, two-year colleges. Among first-generation students, nearly 38% attend community colleges, compared to 20% of students with college-educated parents.
Credentials from community colleges – whether short vocational courses or two-year associate degrees – can be valuable in the labor market. In theory, community colleges also provide an on-ramp for those seeking a bachelor’s degree; in fact, four out of five students enrolling intend to get a 4-year degree.
But the potential of community college is often unrealized. Many students are not ready. Quality varies. Pathways are often unclear and/or complex. Only about 40% of those enrollingearn a degree within six years. Just 15 percent acquire a 4-year degree, according to analyses by Doug Shapiro and Afet Dundar at the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Read more at The Brookings Institute: https://www.brookings.edu/blogs/social-mobility-memos/posts/2016/06/21-transfer-season-lowering-the-barrier-between-community-college-and-four-year-college-reeves
share