New transfer data from the U.S. Education Department (ED) illustrate that most community college students who transfer to a four-year institution don’t attain a baccalaureate even within an eight-year window.
Only 13% of Title IV students who start at community colleges ultimately earn bachelor’s degrees within eight years, according to the data released during an ED transfer summit this month. And there’s considerable variation across states, with New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia and Kansas reaching or surpassing 15%. Lousiana, New Mexico, Indiana, Delaware and South Dakota all had rates below 8%.
ED also compiled a list of so-called dyads, which the department defines as a pair of institutions that includes a community college and a public or private four-year institution. It published the top baccalaureate-producing dyad in each state (see below), which more acutely shows room for growth, even among the strongest transfer partnerships.
