Research has consistently shown that community college students lack the necessary skills to achieve successful academic performance and are highly likely to drop out of their studies prior to degree attainment. Community colleges have introduced developmental courses to prepare students for their transition into college-level courses.…

First-generation, low-income, community college students of color represent one of the fastest growing segments of the undergraduate student population in the United States. With college costs continuing to rise, student debt levels at record highs, and socioeconomic disparities that include growing income and wealth gaps, it is particularly…

Using a phenomenological method, this study explored the higher-education affordability perceptions of a purposively-collected group of 19 students at the pseudonymous Crestview Community College (CCC) in Colorado. The defining themes of the study were: (a) knowledge of the College Opportunity Fund (COF) program and perceptions of higher-education…

Many students who enter community college are deemed underprepared for college-level courses and are referred to developmental (remedial) education courses to build their math, reading, or writing skills. These students often struggle in developmental courses and in college more broadly. To help them, the City University of New York (CUNY)…

Many students graduate from high school under-prepared for college-level coursework, leading to a large number of students entering college who require remediation in English and mathematics. This study looked at the effectiveness of using EdReady--now offered through ACT as CollegeReady™--as a system for delivering remediation prior to college to…

This brief shares best practices learned on the Project Futures research study being conducted at Portland State University and local community colleges in Portland, Oregon. The study is testing evidence-based mentoring strategies for college freshmen with lived experience in foster care and with mental health stressors.

The recent rise of anti-Semitic acts and general lack of Holocaust knowledge highlights the need to integrate Holocaust education across disciplines. An undergraduate criminology class at Queensborough Community College (QCC-CUNY) was aligned with an on-campus Holocaust center exhibit, 'Conspiracy of Goodness', focused on rescuing behaviors of the…

The purpose of the study was to reveal the effect of a course taken through distance education on students' readiness and attitudes. Sequential explanatory design method was used as a research method in which qualitative and quantitative measurements were used in the research. For the quantitative data, a single group pre-test/post-test design was…

The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study of the lived experiences of low-income college freshmen (as they relate to their needs and decisions about continuing their enrollment in college) addresses the problem college administrators and faculty members have with determining how best to help high-achieving, low-income students meet their…

Today, community college students are tasked with making high-stakes decisions about their major and career paths in a very complex and confusing decision-making environment, often without adequate labor market knowledge and career guidance which can have a direct impact on their future earnings, employment, and mental health (Baker, Bettinger,…

Career education programs in California's community colleges are a critical component of public higher education in the state. Also known as career technical or vocational programs, career education trains individuals for middle-skill jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree. These jobs make up a third of…

The purpose of this implementation report is to help community college leaders, foundations, and public education policymakers understand the impact that nudges have on student success, especially for students from populations that typically have low rates of college completion. The promising results of the NTSS [Nudging to STEM Success]…

The State of Higher Education in California is a series of reports by the Campaign for College Opportunity that provide comprehensive data on the current state of college access and completion for our state and what it means for our economy. This report analyzes the state of Black Californians in education. Specifically, this report reviews…

The Hispanic-Serving Community Colleges STEM Pipelines (HSCC-STEM) study is a research project that explores the transitions to and through Hispanic-serving two-year institutions for underrepresented minoritized STEM students. This brief uncovers the most viable HSCC STEM pathways for Latinxs and other underrepresented minoritized students as well…

MDRC's Scaling Up Community College Efforts for Student Success (SUCCESS) aims to increase graduation rates for low-income students and students of color by partnering with states and colleges to implement large-scale, financially sustainable support programs based on strong evidence. SUCCESS combines components that have been proven to help…