Interpreting the Influence of Community College Attendance Upon Baccalaureate Attainment

Abstract

National quantitative studies examining the impact of community college attendance upon educational attainment conclude that initial attendance at a community college (as opposed to a 4-year institution) reduces the likelihood of attaining a bachelor's degree. Yet these studies, which suggest that initial attendance at a community college is not a rational choice for those seeking the baccalaureate, do not typically consider many of the legitimate reasons students have for enrolling in the community college. In addition, future studies will need to factor in recent developments in the community college environment, such as the emergence of the community college baccalaureate, growth in residence halls, and the development of honors programs.

Keywords

community colleges baccalaureate attainment college choice

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brint, S. , & Karabel, J. (1989). The diverted dream. New York : Oxford University Press.

Chappell, C. (2007, May 25). In Fla., four-year programs are serving a local need. Community College Times, p. 3.

Cohen, A.M. , & Brawer, F.B. (2003). The American community college (4th ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Dougherty, K. (1994). The contradictory college. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Floyd, D.L. , & Holloway, A. (2006). Prioritizing service to the academically talented: The honors college. In B. Townsend & K. Dougherty (Eds.), Community college missions in the 21st century (New Directions for Community Colleges No. 136, pp. 43-52). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Floyd, D. L. , Skolnik, M. L. , & Walker, K. P. (Eds.). (2005). The community college baccalaureate: Emerging trends and policy issues. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Horn, L. (2007, April). Community college track: Taxonomy of community college students [PowerPoint presentation]. In T. R. Bailey (Chair), Are institutional graduation rates valid measures of community college performance? Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago.

Kuh, G. , Gonyea, R.M. , & Palmer, M. (2001). The disengaged commuter student: Fact or fiction? Commuter Perspectives, 27(1), 2-5. Retrieved on January 3, 2007, from http://nsse.iub.edu/pdf/commuter/pdf

Melguizo, T. , Kienzl, G.S. , & Alfonso, M. (2007). Evaluating the effect of community college attendance on educational attainment: Application of propensity score matching methods . Manuscript submitted for publication.

10.

Pascarella, E. T. , & Terenzini, P. T. (Eds.). (2005). How college affects students: Vol. 2. A third decade of research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

11.

Townsend, B.K. (2006, November). Blurring institutional types: The authorization of community colleges to award the baccalaureate degree. In The future of the community college as an institutional type. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Anaheim, CA.

12.

Townsend, B.K. , Graverholt, J. , & Spomer, S. (2007, April). A national study of on-campus housing at community colleges. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, Tampa, FL.