The number of undergraduates in the United States has increased by more than 30 percent since 2000, with two-year institutions absorbing the majority of new students. At the same time, outstanding student-loan debt has grown nationwide, reaching $1.4 trillion in 2018. Although the federal student-loan program exists to provide such resources, the…

This issue of "DataPoints" finds significantly fewer two-year degree students finish their degree with student loan debt than students earning credentials from for-profit or four-year institutions. About 51 percent of all students who earned an associate degree from any college in 2015-16 graduated without taking any student loans. That…

Community colleges and open-access, four-year colleges admit nearly everyone who applies and enroll students with a wide range of skills. Many of these colleges run developmental education programs for students who they determine are underprepared for college-level courses. More than two-thirds of community college students are assigned to…

This issue of "DataPoints" shows the percent of Pell grant recipients with any federal student loans, by control and level of institutions in the years 2003-04, 2007-08, 2011-12, and 2015-16. The data demonstrate that community college students with Pell grants are less likely to take on student debt than similar students in other…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand community college student success from the student perspective. Research questions included: (1) How do community college students define success? (2) What are student expectations facilitating success? (3) How do student perceptions of success, expectations facilitating success, and…

This issue of "DataPoints" shows the percent of estimated dual enrollment by state. Analysis suggests that nearly one-third of students enrolled in Iowa community colleges are high school students taking college classes.

Brian Kotz is Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Montgomery College. He is a former member of the American Statistical Association/American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (ASA)/(AMATYC) Joint Committee and the current chair of the AMATYC Data Science Subcommittee. This interview took place via email on November 23,…

This chapter reviews the proliferation of community college students who cheat in online classes, with particular focus on hiring ghost-students or students who take an entire course for a fee. The discussion includes faculty and institutional solutions to prevent ghost-students in online classes.

This chapter considers the case of placement tests, examining students who enter community college gateway math and English courses.

Studies show a link between students' expectations for advising and their level of satisfaction with advising depending on whether or not their expectations have been met. Previous studies have found that students whose expectations were in alignment with the advising they received reported high levels of satisfaction with their experiences. Most…

The purpose of this study was to fill the gaps in literature on the resilience levels of student-veterans and adult learners in community colleges. The research problem addressed the resilience of student-veterans compared to other college students. In this study, student veterans from a community college in New Jersey completed the CD-RISC 25…

Open Educational Resources (OER) have the potential to bridge the gap for community college students not only because they are more affordable or provide access but also because they have the potential to make learning more meaningful for these same students. Although issues related to access and affordability have been extensively researched,…

This chapter discusses the importance and common challenges of evaluating community college student success efforts; it includes a broad-based framework for carrying out effective evaluations.

Nearly half of all college students in the United States begin at community colleges, including higher numbers of students coming from backgrounds which have been historically underrepresented in higher education. Despite record numbers of new students enrolling at community colleges, the number of students who are retained at the institution long…

Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which programs offering community college baccalaureates (CCBs) address access and equity for underrepresented racial minorities (URMs). The study first aimed to understand how administrators described the purpose of CCBs with regard to advancing equity for URMs.…