Why it's Unfair to Compare Community College Graduation Rates to For-Profits

[sanantone]

There is proof!

Community college administrators have long complained that their very, very low graduation rates unfairly fail to take into account students who transfer and continue on to earn degrees somewhere else.

Now there are new figures backing them up.

Of the estimated one in four students who start at community colleges and then move on to four-year institutions, more than 60 percent ultimately graduate, the National Student Clearinghouse reports. And another 8 percent who haven’t finished haven’t dropped out, the study says; they’re still enrolled.

The revelation suggests that the proportion of community college students who successfully complete their educations is higher than the dismal 18 percent the U.S. Department of Education calculates finish their two-year degrees within three years.

The American Association of Community Colleges contends that, if the government counted students who complete at least 30 credits at a community college and then finish their degrees at four-year schools, the proportion who should be considered to ultimately graduate would be closer to 40 percent.

New figures suggest community college grad rates higher than thought | Hechinger Report

[ryoder]

Some people go to college just to get free grants. It's like unemployment to them.

[sanantone]

Some people go to college just to get free grants. It's like unemployment to them.

There is now a cap on those. Some CCs do the responsible thing by kicking their students out after earning 90 credit hours without applying for graduation.