There is a growing interest in understanding more precisely the contribution of HE to student learning outcomes. We present a systematic review of the literature published between 2000 and 2023 in the WoS and Scopus databases. We identified 49 research articles that analyse individual and institutional variables related to student's academic and…

This study measures college quality by the amount by which the college adds to the salary of its students above what the median market value would be for the same majors and student quality. Commonly used national rankings of colleges such as U.S. News and World Report or Forbes are heavily biased by a college's average salaries and the quality of…

The release of scientific research has substantial consequences for both the research and the institution in which it was carried out. The selection of publishing methods for scientific articles, such as journal type, quartile, indexed databases, and publishing models, plays a crucial role. Various publishing models exist, including platinum,…

With general education coursework making up a significant portion of associate and bachelor's degree curriculum, conveying the content and importance of student competencies to stakeholder audiences has never been more essential. Accreditation pressure and accountability measures are influencing a focus on improving the presentation of…

Swings in enrollment and funding caused by the most recent recession have reminded community college leaders that the ups and downs of the economy can have a significant impact on their institutions. While the impact on enrollment and funding is well documented, lesser known impacts can be also be found on things such as student persistence,…

Community colleges serve more students than any other institutional type in the United States, and internationalization is an inherent component of community colleges that advances student knowledge, facilitates student success, and serves the needs of local communities. As most community college students do not enroll in four-year institutions,…

A relatively simple way of measuring institutional effectiveness in relation to degree completion is to estimate the difference between an actual and predicted graduation rate, but the reliability and validity of this method have not been thoroughly examined. Longitudinal data were obtained from IPEDS for both public and private not-for-profit…

According to scholars, there has been a move toward a more professional or occupational focus in postsecondary education, a focus that Grubb and Lazerson suggest "undermines education's moral, civic, and intellectual purposes." The purpose of this study was to evaluate the public relations curricula of U.S. universities and colleges and…

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…

The population of students of color has grown threefold, and there are more than 40 cultural and social student affinity groups. More impressive, the graduation rate for African American, Latino, and Native students has increased by 13 percentage points in the last decade. In this brief, the authors dig into a decade's worth of data on four-year…

Programmatic-level comparisons are made between the certified public accountant (CPA) exam outcomes of two types of accounting programs: online or distance accounting programs and face-to-face or classroom accounting programs. After matching programs from each group on student selectivity at admission, the two types of programs are compared on CPA…

The accountability of colleges and universities is a high priority for those making policy decisions. The purpose of this study was to determine institutional characteristics predicting retention rates, graduation rates and transfer-out rates using publicly available data from the US Department of Education. Using regression analysis, it was…

Few college experiences elicit as much controversy as racial/ethnic student organizations. Critics argue that these student groups promote racial division and segregation, whereas supporters counter these claims and suggest instead that they facilitate college adjustment, learning, and growth. Clearly, some students are quite predisposed to…

The 2007-10 growth spurt (18 percent over three years) in U.S. undergraduate economics degrees stalled out in 2011. Degrees awarded have been relatively constant over the past three years.

Demands on higher education institutions are growing. Stakeholders are demanding proof of quality to ensure students are receiving the education they are paying for. Institutional accountability is a growing concern for higher education institutions, more specifically community colleges. The diverse characteristics of community colleges have made…