Community College and Alternative Pathways to the Workforce

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Community College and Alternative Pathways to the Workforce

New York – (FEBRUARY 14, 2022) – Workcred has received a three-year grant from the ECMC Foundation, as part of a partnership with the League for Innovation in the Community College (the League) and the National Student Clearinghouse (the Clearinghouse), to offer community colleges an affordable, scalable approach to align degrees with industry needs. The partnership—and its focus on Certification+Degree (C+D) Pathways—will support the development of alternative pathways within the workforce through embedding industry-recognized certifications into community college coursework.

Workcred and its partners will support five community colleges to develop and implement C+D Pathways in IT, logistics, and/or health science programs in at least three different states, and establish a process for economical replication. In addition, the project team will develop a data-informed approach to guide C+D Pathway implementation and improvement. Ultimately, the collaboration will provide learners with opportunities to master occupationally relevant skills that lead to living wage jobs while they are on a pathway to an associate degree.

To accomplish the project objectives, Workcred, the League, and the Clearinghouse will also partner with a higher education accreditation body, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), to consider how C+D Pathways completion and attainment will be determined within the context of the accreditation process.

More on C+D Pathways

Did You Know?

C+D Pathways, which involve embedding industry credentials into degree programs, is a common practice at community colleges, as these pathways are aligned with both student goals and industry needs. Furthermore, they better position students in their field and help to build a pipeline of prepared workers for employers.

To that end, as C+D Pathways continue to be developed, Workcred strives to place more emphasis on effective pathway development and implementation, as well as the use of metrics to guide continuous improvement and ensure the pathways are increasing learner retention and degree completion, and leading to living wage employment.

Learn more about how C+D Pathways have the potential to benefit all learners as a broadly applicable, scalable approach to aligning degrees in any academic discipline with industry-relevant competencies, as explained in Workcred’s editorial, Increasing Value Through Certification and Degree Pathways, published in The evolllution.

See also Certification-Degree Pathways: Aligning Undergraduate Curriculum to Industry Credentials and Professions.

The project also supports ECMC’s Career Readiness aim to develop scalable approaches to increase learner retention and degree completion across a diverse learner population. ECMC is a national foundation working to improve postsecondary outcomes for students from underserved backgrounds.

“We are thrilled to start this important and much-needed work thanks to this grant and collaboration, which supports our long-term goals in examining workforce issues impacting communities that experience inequities,” said Workcred executive director Roy Swift. “Workcred anticipates that the activities and tools developed through this project will lead to multiple sustainable C+D Pathways, inform new and existing C+D Pathways, and promote scaling of these pathways nationally.”

Rufus Glasper, president and CEO of the League, said, “We are committed to strengthening the credentials and the pathways which our students and communities seek to live a better life. This project identifies and expands on solutions for students and their families that are sustainable, scalable, and transformative.”

“This framework will build upon previous work by Workcred and the National Student Clearinghouse to link higher education institution enrollment data, industry credential data, and wage data,” said Rick Torres, president and CEO, National Student Clearinghouse. “The results of this grant will show how institutions can observe their learners from enrollment all the way into their careers, and better understand the value of industry credentials and degrees in that journey. This is an important step in helping institutions tell the most holistic story possible of their outcomes of their work.”

Barbara Gellman-Danley, HLC president, reinforced the value of this work. “HLC is very excited to be part of this initiative. The credential marketplace is growing exponentially, and clear pathways to the associate degree – and quality assurance of those pathways – are critical to both the students and the workforce.”

About Workcred

Formed in 2014 as an affiliate of the American National Standards Institute, Workcred’s mission is to strengthen workforce quality by improving the credentialing system, ensuring its ongoing relevance, and preparing employers, workers, educators, and governments to use it effectively. Learn more about it on the Workcred site. To better understand and navigate the credentialing system, visit Workcred’s Publications and Events page and view the video, An Introduction to Workcred.

About ANSI

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies, and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations.

The Institute represents and serves the diverse interests of more than 270,000 companies and organizations and 30 million professionals worldwide. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For more information, visit www.ansi.org.

About the League for Innovation in the Community College

The League for Innovation in the Community College is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment. The League hosts conferences and institutes, develops print and digital resources, and leads projects and initiatives with almost 400 member colleges, strategic partners, and a host of other government and nonprofit agencies in a continuing effort to advance the community college field and make a positive difference for students and communities. Information about the League and its activities is available at www.league.org.

About the National Student Clearinghouse®

The National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit formed in 1993, is the trusted source for and leading provider of higher education verifications and electronic education record exchanges. Besides working with nearly 3,600 postsecondary institutions, the Clearinghouse also provides thousands of high schools and districts with continuing collegiate enrollment, progression, and completion statistics on their alumni. For more details, visit www.studentclearinghouse.org.

About the Higher Learning Commission

The Higher Learning Commission accredits approximately 1,000 colleges and universities in the United States. HLC is a private, nonprofit accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Contact info@hlcommission.org for more information.

National Six-Year Completion Rate Reaches 62.2 %

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National Six-Year Completion Rate Reaches 62.2 %

Of All Sectors, Community College Starters See Largest Increase in Completion Rates

HERNDON, VA – (MAY 24, 2023) – Community college enrollment grew slightly this spring (up 0.5% or 22,000 students from spring 2022), after large declines in the previous two years, due to a growing number of younger students, according to a new report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

A growing number of younger students, primarily dual-enrolled high school students, and freshmen, contributed to the uptick in community college enrollment. Undergraduate enrollment at public and private nonprofit four-year institutions are still declining, but at slower rates (-0.5% and -0.2%, respectively).

After pandemic-driven declines began to level off last fall, overall undergraduate enrollment remained stable for the spring term (-0.2% or -25,000 students). In comparison, graduate-level enrollment is faring more poorly (-2.2% or -68,000 students from spring 2022), eroding pandemic-associated gains. Total postsecondary enrollment remains well below pre-pandemic levels, down about 1.09 million students overall and about 1.16 million undergraduates alone, compared to spring 2020.

“Despite encouraging signs of recovery among younger students at community colleges, overall undergraduate enrollment is still well below pre-pandemic levels, especially among degree-seeking students,” said Doug Shapiro, executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “With the pandemic now behind us, a new set of factors appears to be preventing students from returning to campuses. And these new factors are having a stronger effect on students who are seeking bachelor’s degrees than on associate-seekers.”

Freshman enrollment grew 9.2 percent from spring 2022, building on a similar increase reported last year, though it’s important to note that percentage increases in spring freshmen are based on a far smaller scale than in fall. Community colleges accounted for the majority of spring freshmen (53.9%) and had the largest increases of any sector (+12.4%), leading to a spring 2023 community college freshman class 7.0 percent larger than the spring 2020 levels.

Undergraduate-level students are shifting the types of credentials they pursue, with enrollments in bachelor’s degree programs falling more steeply than associate degree programs (-1.4% or -114,000 students versus -0.4% or -15,000 students) and other sub-baccalaureate credentials showing enrollment growth (+4.8% or +104,000 students; see Table 2). Graduate-level enrollment drops are almost entirely due to losses in master’s programs (-57,000 students).

Other highlights include:

  • Continuing the trend from fall 2022, younger students are driving community college enrollment growth, specifically an 8.0 percent increase in dual-enrolled high school students (+49,000 students under age 18) and a 1.1 percent increase in 18- to 24-year-old enrollment (+24,000; see Table 4).
  • Over the longer term, the median age of a community college student has dropped by more than a year since 2019 (down 1.2 years from 20.7 to 19.5 for men and 1.3 years from 20.4 to 19.1 for women; see Table 6), with enrollment under age 18 growing by 13.6 percent and each of the two older age groups declining much more steeply (-22.5% for age 18-24; -25.7% for age over 24).
  • Female enrollment declined by 1.2 percent (-118,000 students), while male enrollment grew slightly (+0.4% or +25,000 students; see Table 7). The latest gender results extend the trend of an improved enrollment outlook for men relative to women, first seen in the second pandemic year (fall 2021), particularly at community colleges where male enrollment increased by 2.7 percent this spring (+45,000 students).
  • Nearly all states follow the national trend, with slowing declines, stabilization, or growth over last spring. Both multi-state institutions and primarily online institutions, which are not included in individual states, regained the enrollments they lost last year, returning to spring 2021 levels (see Table 8a).
  • Computer science undergraduate programs at four-year institutions reached their highest growth rate in three years (+11.6% or +62,000 students) in spring 2023. At two-year institutions, computer science enrollments are now above pre-pandemic levels, reversing three years of flat or declining numbers (+9.7% or +20,000 students). Healthcare and education program enrollments continued to fall across two- and four-year institutions alike (see Tables 9 and 10).

The Current Term Enrollment Estimates report series is published every January and May by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. It provides national enrollment estimates by degree level, institutional sector, enrollment intensity, age group, gender, and major field, as well as state-level enrollment estimates. Starting in fall 2020, state-level enrollment data are also shown by institution sector. Enrollment estimates are adjusted for Clearinghouse data coverage rates by institutional sector, state, and year. This differs from the Stay Informed report series which is designed to quantify the effects of COVID-19 by analyzing year-over-year percent change in unadjusted, preliminary data for fixed panels of institutions that reported data in the same month each year across all comparison years. The estimated enrollment numbers presented in the CTEE report may, therefore, differ from the results of the Stay Informed reports due to the methodology and institution coverage.

About the National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center™

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. The Research Center analyzes the data from Title IV eligible degree-granting postsecondary institutions that represent 97 percent of the nation’s postsecondary enrollment as of fall 2021. Clearinghouse data track enrollments nationally and are not limited by institutional and state boundaries. To learn more, visit nscresearchcenter.org.

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Postsecondary Transfer Enrollment Stabilized In Fall 2021

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Postsecondary Transfer Enrollment Stabilized In Fall 2021

HERNDON, VA – (JANUARY 19, 2022) – Postsecondary transfer enrollment appears to have stabilized in fall 2021 following a precipitous decline a year earlier, with a drop of less than 1% (-11,300 students) compared to a 9.2% decline (-137,000 students) in fall 2020, according to research released today by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

In contrast, non-transfer enrollment fell a further 4.1%, an acceleration of the previous year’s 2.3% drop. The latest COVID-19: Transfer, Mobility, and Progress report, the sixth in the series, reflects the pandemic’s impact on postsecondary transfer students.

“Transfer pathways in fall 2021 show signs of students and campuses working hard to find greater latitude for navigating the pandemic,” said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “Even as total undergraduate enrollment slid further, students who have stayed enrolled are finding ways to adapt to their specific challenges through transfer and mobility.”

Report Highlights include:

  • Transfers are up 2.3% among continuing students (+19,300), but down a further 5.8% among those returning from a stop-out (-30,600). Increased transfers among continuing students were most pronounced at private nonprofit four-year institutions (+7.7%), followed by public four-year institutions (+1.5%).
  • Patterns of transfer and mobility have diverged across different pathways in fall 2021. Reverse and lateral transfers, the pathways with the steepest declines reported the year before, remain largely stable (-0.9% vs. -17.5% in fall 2020 and +0.2% vs. -13.3% in fall 2020, respectively). Upward transfers continued to dip slightly (-1.6% vs. -2.7% in fall 2020), now showing the largest numerical decline of any pathway (-10,600 students compared with -1,756 reverse transfers and +1,039 lateral transfers).
  • Mobility increased among continuing students but decreased among returning students across all transfer pathways (upward, lateral, and reverse). Four-year lateral transfers–from a four-year to another four-year college–had the largest disparity, increasing 9.0% (+15,200) among continuing students while declining 9.2% (-10,000) for returning students.
  • Upward transfers increased at very competitive colleges in fall 2021 (+5,000 students or +4.0%). Also notable is a 5-6% growth in four-year lateral transfers at very competitive and competitive institutions (+9,200 students as a total). Upward transfers at highly selective institutions grew more slowly than last year (+1,700 students or +2.7% vs. +5,600 students or +9.5% in fall 2020).
  • Younger transfer students aged 18-20 is the only age group to experience growth in fall 2021, fully recovering from their 2020 declines (+13.6% vs. -8.7% in fall 2020).
  • Reversing the gender pattern from fall 2020, transfer enrollment increased 1.2% for men (+6,200), while continuing to decline another 2.3% for women (-18,200).
  • Compared to fall 2020, White, Black, Latinx, and Native American transfer enrollments dropped at considerably smaller rates (-2.5%, -1.8%, -2.9%, and -1.0%, respectively). Asian transfer student numbers fell slightly more than last year (-4.4%).

The COVID-19: Transfer, Mobility, and Progress presents the undergraduate transfer enrollment and pathways in the fall of 2021. It analyzes 12 million undergraduate students, including 1.3 million transfer students, as reported by 92.6% of colleges as of Nov 18, 2021. Because of the high data coverage rate, this report offers the enrollment numbers along with the year-over-year percentage changes, both of which are available for downloading.

The COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress Report series, with support from Ascendium Education Group and ECMC Foundation, identifies changes in student transfer pathways that are attributable to the pandemic by using historical data as the pre-pandemic baseline and the Clearinghouse’s current enrollment data.

By providing the most up-to-date information about student transfer available online for free, the Research Center enables schools, institutions, organizations, and policymakers to better adapt and serve students, particularly those from the most vulnerable populations, during the pandemic and beyond.

About the National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center™

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes.

The Research Center currently collects data from more than 3,600 postsecondary institutions, which represent 97 percent of the nation’s postsecondary enrollments in degree-granting institutions, as of 2019. Clearinghouse data track enrollments nationally and are not limited by institutional and state boundaries. To learn more, visit https://nscresearchcenter.org.

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Fall 2021 Undergraduate Enrollment Declines 465,300 Students Compared to Fall 2020

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Fall 2021 Undergraduate Enrollment Declines 465,300 Students Compared to Fall 2020

Undergraduate Enrollment Declines Exceed 1 Million Since Fall 2019

HERNDON, VA – (JANUARY 13, 2022) – Compared to fall 2020, total undergraduate enrollment declined by 3.1% or 465,300 students, for a total two-year decline during the COVID-19 pandemic of 6.6%, or 1,025,600  students since fall 2019, according to a new report released today by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Nationwide, more than 17 million students enrolled in colleges and universities in fall 2021. Meanwhile, total fall enrollment increased in only four states: Arizona, Colorado, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

The number of students seeking associate degrees, which fell by 6.2% this year, accounts for 713,000 of the undergraduate decline since 2019, a 14.1% drop over two years. Bachelor’s degree seekers fell by 3% this year, and have now fallen by 3.9% since 2019, a two-year decline of 333,900. Graduate student enrollment declined 0.4% or 10,800 this year.

“Our final look at fall 2021 enrollment shows undergraduates continuing to sit out in droves as colleges navigate yet another year of COVID-19,” said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “Without a dramatic re-engagement in their education, the potential loss to these students’ earnings and futures is significant, which will greatly impact the nation as a whole in years to come.”

Undergraduate enrollment declined across all institution sectors, with private for-profit four-year colleges suffering the steepest percentage drop (-11.1% or 65,500 students) and public four-year institutions losing the largest number of students (251,400 or -3.8%) compared to the previous year. Private nonprofit four-year enrollment decreased by 2.2% or 58,700 students this fall.

Enrollment declines at community colleges this fall totaled -3.4% or 161,800 students. However, the number of associate degree-seeking students enrolled at four-year institutions fell much more steeply (-11.0% at public four-year, -6.2% at private nonprofit four-year, and -11.9% at private for-profit four-year institutions). Public two-year colleges remain the hardest hit sector since the start of the pandemic (-13.2% or 706,100 students over 2019).

Two-year and four-year public institutions combined, which enroll 76% of all undergraduates, showed a 3.1% decline or nearly 398,600 student losses.

Freshman enrollment stabilized this fall following a precipitous decline last year. Enrollment is up about 0.4% or 8,100 students from 2020, but still 9.2% less or 213,400 fewer freshman students compared to pre-pandemic levels in fall 2019. Private nonprofit four-year colleges led this fall’s freshmen increase by 2.9% or 11,600 students, followed by public two-year colleges improving 0.4% or 3,000 students. Freshman enrollment continued to decline in other sectors this fall.

Adult students (age 24 and older) saw the sharpest relative enrollment decline this fall (3.4% or 210,800 students), largely driven by steep declines at four-year colleges. Traditional college-age students (18-24) declined by 2.4% or 254,100 students, with the sharpest declines in the public two-year college sector (5.3% or 135,400 students). Dual enrolled high school students (under 18) increased at public two-year institutions by 1.5% but fell at public and private nonprofit four-year institutions (6.9%, and 1.1%, respectively).

Enrollment in each of the five largest undergraduate majors (Business, Health, Liberal Arts, Biology, and Engineering) at four-year colleges fell steeply this year. Liberal Arts declined the most (7.6%), while Computer Sciences and Psychology, the sixth and seventh largest majors, grew by 1.3 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. Among the largest two-year college majors, Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting, and Related Protective Services declined the most (7.4%), while Computer Sciences and Engineering increased (2.9% and 1.5%, respectively).

The Current Term Enrollment Estimates (CTEE) Report Series is published in the spring and the fall of each year by the Research Center. It provides national enrollment estimates by institutional sector, enrollment intensity, age group, gender, major field, and state. Starting in fall 2020, state-level enrollment data are also shown by institution sector.

As with the previous editions, the Fall 2021 CTEE provides estimated postsecondary enrollment numbers based on the Clearinghouse universe of institutions, after accounting for data coverage rates. This differs from the Stay Informed report series that is designed to quantify the immediate effects of COVID-19 by analyzing year-over-year percentage change in unadjusted, preliminary data for fixed panels of institutions that reported data in the same month each year from fall 2019 to fall 2021. The estimated enrollment numbers presented in the CTEE report may differ from the results of the Stay Informed reports due to the difference in methodology and institution coverage. The most recent SI report, released November 18, included 74% of institutions that had submitted data by October 21.

Next week, the Research Center will release an update to the COVID-19: Transfer, Mobility, and Progress report.

About the National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center™

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes.

The Research Center currently collects data from more than 3,600 postsecondary institutions, which represent 97 percent of the nation’s postsecondary enrollments in degree-granting institutions, as of 2019. Clearinghouse data track enrollments nationally and are not limited by institutional and state boundaries. To learn more, visit https://nscresearchcenter.org.

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