As the economy struggles to recover amidst ongoing uncertainty, adults across the country could benefit from earning a degree and opening the door to new careers. Colleges and universities recognize the importance--but also the challenge--of getting "some college no degree" (SCND) students back on track and supporting them, along with…

Community college students represent approximately half of all postsecondary students in the United States. The purpose of community colleges is to provide open-door access to higher education for students who otherwise would not have the opportunity. Earning an associate degree or a certificate translates into higher lifetime earnings compared to…

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…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced nursing education programs to change traditional face-to-face teaching to virtual education and simulated experiences. Therefore, research is needed to determine how this change affected nursing students' academic performance and their performance on standardized exams. The purpose of this three-part study, guided by…

Reverse transfer associate degrees are credentials retroactively awarded to current bachelor's degree seekers that combine current four-year credits with credits previously earned at a community college. Providing students with an associate degree may not only increase motivation and persistence "en route" to completing a bachelor's but…

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…

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…

Laboratories, which are an integral part of education in disciplines that require hands-on training and application, can now be presented using new technologies, and application activities can be realized at a distance. In this study, virtual laboratories (VLs) are discussed, and factors affecting the students' intention to use VLs are…

The legacy of career and technical education (CTE) in years past, stretching into the vocational education era, was lower college enrollment after participating in CTE. More recently, others have concluded that college enrollment is not affected but that CTE students enroll more frequently in 2-year degrees over 4-year degrees. I revisit the…

Graduating from college is a life-transforming achievement for young people with foster care backgrounds. Not only do the majority of adolescents in foster care aspire to finish college, but holding a degree has been associated with an increased likelihood of being employed and having higher earnings. Still, existing research estimates that fewer…

This report presents academic year 2018 through 2021 degrees awarded and top-ten degrees at Mississippi institutes of higher education, along with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degrees awarded and top-ten degrees, and August 2021 academic program summary for Mississippi. The following institutes of higher education are…

Across the country, students are unwittingly leaving postsecondary credentials on the table without institutions awarding the associate degrees they have earned. A disproportionate number of those students are from populations that have been historically excluded from or overlooked in higher education, including Black, Latinx, Indigenous students,…

Aim: This study aimed to describe the practices and perceptions of nurse educators when developing NGN-style test items. Methods: This study used a qualitative descriptive methodology to explore the practices and perceptions of nursing faculty when developing NGN-style test items from nursing faculty in accredited prelicensure programs in the…

Apart from awarding associate degrees, two-year colleges (also referred to as associate colleges and community colleges) may vary distinctly in their disciplinary focus. Certain institutions offer more courses geared toward specific career fields, while other two-year institutions offer courses to prepare students to transfer to four-year…

The STEM fields provide numerous life-changing opportunities for tribal college students. STEM fields also provide students with opportunities to engage research areas that serve tribal interests ranging from natural resource management and protection to renewable energy development to improving human health and safety to the use of technology for…