Few Minority Students Who Enter Community College Attain Bachelor’s Degrees
The press release accompanying the study reports that although 80 percent of freshmen entering community college intend to eventually earn a bachelor’s degree, only 7 percent of low-income and minority community college students attain a bachelor’s degree within ten years. As the press release explains, low-income and minority students are “overrepresented in terms of enrollment” in community colleges but “underrepresented among completers” of community colleges.
Low Rate of Transfer to Four-Year Institutions
The rate at which historically underrepresented minorities transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions is also worrisome, according to the report. Only 12 percent of students from underrepresented minority groups transfer to bachelor’s degree programs within four years of enrolling in a community college.
Low Community College Completion Rates
Closing the achievement gap is “the civil rights issue of our day,” says William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland. Having a college degree is more important today than ever before; Kirwin notes that in this era, “a college degree is the path to a meaningful career and a high quality of life.”