ERIC Number: EJ1148871
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2377-2263
EISSN: N/A
Does College Focus Matter? Explaining Differences in Labor Market Outcomes among Community Colleges
Dunn, Michael; Kalleberg, Arne L.
Journal of Educational Issues, v3 n1 p189-213 2017
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 their students' labor market success. We examine this question using the 58 colleges in the North Carolina Community College system as a case study for community colleges nationally. We find that students from community colleges that specialize or focus on career objectives had higher labor market earnings; about one-fifth of the variation in students' earnings across community colleges is due to the college's mission focus. Other community college variables also enhance students' earnings, such as institution size as well as having single-county service areas and low proportions of remedial students.
Descriptors: Labor Market, Community Colleges, College Outcomes Assessment, Institutional Mission, Case Studies, Specialization, Career Choice, Salary Wage Differentials, School Size, Remedial Programs, Regional Characteristics, Educational Benefits, Educational Development, School Statistics, Institutional Characteristics, Predictor Variables, School Effectiveness, Regression (Statistics)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: North Carolina
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305C110011