ERIC Number: ED566398
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2016-May
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Does College Focus Matter? Explaining Differences in Performance among Community Colleges in North Carolina: A CAPSEE Working Paper
Dunn, Michael; Kalleberg, Arne L.
Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment
The evolution of community colleges from their origins as junior colleges to institutions with dual missions to provide both academic and workforce preparation raises questions about the impact of a college's mission focus on its students' labor market success. We examine this question using data from the 58 colleges in the North Carolina Community College System. We find that students from community colleges that focus on career or workforce preparation had higher labor market earnings than did students from comprehensive community colleges or colleges with an academic focus; about one fifth of the variation in students' earnings across community colleges was due to the college's mission focus. A number of other community college variables enhanced students' earnings, such as larger institution size, serving a single county, and having low proportions of remedial students.
Descriptors: Community Colleges, Institutional Mission, Labor Force Development, Labor Market, Institutional Characteristics, Educational Benefits, College Outcomes Assessment, Salary Wage Differentials, Educational Development, Academic Education, Vocational Education, Comparative Analysis, Comprehensive Programs, Specialization, Predictor Variables, Student Characteristics, Regional Schools, School Effectiveness, Regression (Statistics), Career Planning
Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment. Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street Box 174, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 212.678.3091; e-mail: capsee@columbia.edu; Web site: http://capseecenter.org
Publication Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data; Reports - Research
Education Level: Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment (CAPSEE)
Identifiers - Location: North Carolina
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305C110011