The role of the community college in Texas: the impact of academic intensity, transfer, and working on student success

Abstract

Far too many students who begin at a community college are unsuccessful in transferring to a four-year institution and completing a baccalaureate degree. How can we explain this phenomenon and how could policy interventions be implemented to improve student success? To better understand the role of the community college, I examine three specific pathways. First, I investigate the transfer process between two- and four-year institutions with a focus on credit hours earned in the first semester. Second, I examine the degree attainment patterns for those students who successfully transfer to a four-year school in comparison to their peers who initially began in the four-year sector. Third, I explore the time-varying factors associated with overall undergraduate degree attainment, with a focus on wages earned while currently enrolled, for those students beginning at the community college.