Each year millions of Americans make the decision to pursue a college education to improve their skill sets, boost their earning potential and transform their life circumstances. Yet almost 1 in 5 students leaves empty-handed after investing precious time and valuable resources. And many who amass student loan debt are crippled by the burden of…

Policymakers at the state and national levels have identified college completion as a key policy priority. The proportion of adults with a college credential has decreased and the equity gap in college completion is expanding. Given this policy context, there is an interest in the extent to which degree pathways are inefficient and how these…

Competency-based education (CBE) is an approach to pedagogy that emphasizes the mastery of skills and concepts rather than credit hours or seat time. The assessment of mastery can take several forms, including formal assessments of prior learning (such as portfolio reviews or examinations) and automated evaluations of online coursework. Advocates…

This study examines the extent to which selected demographic characteristics (nontraditional student, English as a second language [ESL], male student, and first generation student) predict early-program success, successful on-time completion, and NCLEX-RN success in baccalaureate nursing education for a sample of students at a Midwestern…

Analysis of student-level data to inform policy and promote student success is a core function of executive higher education agencies. Postsecondary data systems have expanded their collection of data elements for use by policymakers, institutional staff, and the general public. State coordinating and governing boards use these data systems for…

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) collects institution-level data from postsecondary institutions in the United States (50 states and the District of Columbia) and other U.S. jurisdictions. This "First Look" presents findings from the provisional data of the IPEDS winter 2016-17 data collection, which included…

With many Latinos enrolled in community colleges in Texas, understanding the pathways and transfer in the state can guide policy efforts. This factsheet provides a snapshot of student transfer in Texas.

The Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (subsequently renamed the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, or TOPS) was created by ACT 1375 of the 1997 Regular Legislative Session. The first college freshman class to receive TOPS awards entered postsecondary education in the fall of 1998. ACT 1202 of the 2001 Regular Legislative Session…

For single mothers families, who are especially likely to live in poverty, college attainment is a game changer for improving family well-being and meeting the demands of a changing economy. College credentials are associated with a host of positive outcomes, including increased earnings, higher rates of employment, improved health, increased…

Time to degree is a key factor in improving college graduation rates and increasing institutional productivity. While there is a growing body of empirical and theoretical work addressing baccalaureate degree completion and persistence, much less is known about the factors that affect time to degree. This policy brief is comprised of three…

This report is a compendium of college access-related data that is intended to provide a detailed overview of Baltimore City Schools (City Schools) students' experiences preparing for, enrolling in, and completing postsecondary education. Although constrained in its scope, this report is offered in light of the fact that, more and more,…

Every adolescent faces challenges as they navigate their teenage years, but for some these challenges imperil their ability to complete their education. While these four students' experiences are dramatically different, they have one thing in common: high school didn't work for them, meaning that each faced long odds of ever attaining a diploma,…

Minority doctoral students at elite and highly competitive private research universities encounter distinctive challenges that can impact persistence, time to degree, and professional outcomes.

For many years, higher education data collection and funding efforts have focused on student success metrics like enrollment, graduation, retention, and course completion rates. At the same time, higher education leaders have become increasingly aware--in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic--of the vast array of challenges that college students…

In 2013, the Graduate School at North Carolina State University launched Thesis and Dissertation Support Services, a rhetorical, genre-based approach to assisting students with their graduate writing. Through a description of the program's founding, goals, and first year of services, we summarize this genre-based approach that is informed by the…