Objectives: We explore the influence of initial enrollment at a community college on the attainment of a bachelor's degree. Methods: Using the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS: 12/17) and propensity score analysis, we compare baccalaureate degree outcomes of recent high school graduates who reported their intention to earn…

California is home to the nation's largest higher education systems which once served as "the model" for access, affordability, and excellence. However, decades of declining state investment and existing policies are "marginalizing the majority" of California students and perpetuating social stratification across the state.…

This Data Point examines postsecondary students' persistence and attainment rates using data from the 2006 and 2014 administrations of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Studies (BPS:04/06 and BPS:12/14). These studies are follow-ups to the 2003-04 and 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Studies and track the paths of…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of receiving an associate's degree via reverse credit transfer on retention and bachelor's degree attainment for students in Hawaii and Minnesota who transferred from a community college to a university before earning an associate's degree. Results showed mostly positive evidence with some…

Only 11% of community college (associate's-degree) students transfer vertically and obtain a bachelor's degree within six years, despite over 80% originally intending to do so. These leaks in the transfer pipeline disproportionately affect students from underrepresented groups, who are more likely to attend community colleges and to leak out of…

Educational attainment is a crucial contributor to postsecondary achievement for deaf people, as a key component of narrowing employment gaps. Fewer deaf people complete high school and postsecondary education than their hearing peers, resulting in severe educational attainment gaps. However, secondary data analyses of the American Community…

Promise programs, or place-based tuition-free college policies, have become increasingly popular among policymakers looking to expand postsecondary attainment. In this article, we examine Tulsa Achieves, a widespread, albeit understudied type of promise program that covers the balance of students' tuition and fees after other aid is exhausted at a…

As Mississippi prepares to support the statewide postsecondary attainment goal, understanding the returns to higher education is crucial to determining where to invest resources. Ithaka S+R has partnered with the Woodward Hines Education Foundation to provide Mississippi policymakers, advocates, and legislators with information they need to make…

This report features selected research findings on student mobility in the British Columbia (B.C) public post-secondary system, using data from the most recent annual Student Transitions Project (STP) submission from Fall of 2022. All academic credit registrants in B.C.'s 25 public post-secondary institutions from 2002/2003 to Fall 2023 are…

This study explored the relationship between college education and promotions, assignments, and perceptions among Army Special Operations Forces noncommissioned officers. The researcher reviewed promotion record archives from 19 centralized promotion boards, and administered a self-designed survey questionnaire to 119 commissioned officers and…

First-generation college students (FGCS) face unique challenges compared to non-first-generation peers. Lack of personal, emotional, financial, or psychological support may create difficulties adapting to college. The focus on affordability in higher education and lowering the cost of a bachelor's degree has also made the transfer process an…

While Latino enrollment decreased in 2020, we continue to see an increase in Latino college completion. This brief provides an overview of past and current context of Latino college completion through the first months of the pandemic, including the top institutions where Latinos earn degrees, and progress towards the goal of Ensuring America's…

This is the second brief of three summarizing results from the longitudinal analysis of the Transfer Opportunity Project (TOP). TOP, funded by a grant from the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), explores the possible factors contributing to the low percentage of community college students who go on to earn bachelor's degrees. The project uses…

Virtual charter schools are increasingly popular, yet there is no research on the long-term outcomes of virtual charter students. We link statewide education records from Oregon with earnings information from IRS records housed at the U.S. Census Bureau to provide evidence on how virtual charter students fare as young adults. Virtual charter…

Research on college completion for students who work during their undergraduate education often approaches the topic from a financial perspective focused on aid and income status. This study takes a different approach by exploring the intersectionality of student employment and race, in relation to six-year bachelor's degree attainment. Based on a…