This data note explores the extent to which the student population earning baccalaureate degrees at community聽and technical colleges mirrors the demographic characteristics of the student population earning baccalaureate聽degrees in comparable programs of study offered by four public universities in Washington State. Demographic聽analysis reveals important differences between these two student populations, both broadly and in the specific聽program areas of business administration and nursing. Among business administration degree earners, for instance,聽compared to men a substantially higher proportion of women earn CCB degrees (56.6%) relative to women earning聽baccalaureate degrees in business at public universities (45.8%). In terms of racial diversity, the entire population of聽CCB degree earners is more diverse than university baccalaureate earners, especially among African American and聽Latinx students. These results provide important preliminary evidence of the extent to which CCB policy serves as a聽policy lever to increase gender and racial diversity in baccalaureate attainment in Washington State.
Our Community College Research Initiatives (CCRI) group at the 91探花 has partnered with New America鈥檚 Center on Education and Skills (CESNA) to refresh and expand understanding of AB and CCB degrees nationally, looking again at state adoption and implementation of these degrees in the two- and four-year institutional contexts. With generous support from the Joyce Foundation and Lumina Foundation, our two-year project documents policies and processes; develops a set of consensus design principles and frameworks featuring evidence-based and equity-focused promising policies and practices on state adoption and institutional implementation; and disseminates lessons from past successes and failures.