Ed 502349

Community Colleges
Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008
NCES 2008-033
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
Community Colleges
Statistical Analysis Report
August 2008
Stephen Provasnik
Michael Planty
National Center for Education Statistics
NCES 2008-033
U . S . D E PA R T M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N
U.S. Department of Education
Margaret Spellings
Secretary
Institute of Education Sciences

Grover J. Whitehurst
Director

Mark Schneider
Commissioner
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related
to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and
complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the
meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review
and report on education activities in foreign countries.
NCES activities are designed to address high-priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, complete, and accurate
indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high-quality data to the U.S. Department of Education, the
Congress, the states, other education policymakers, practitioners, data users, and the general public. Unless specifically noted all infor-
mation contained herein is in the public domain.
We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as
our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively. If you have any comments or suggestions
about this or any other NCES product or report, we would like to hear from you. Please direct your comments to

Institute of Education Sciences
1990 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006-5651
August 2008
The NCES World Wide Web Home Page address is http://nces.ed.gov.

The NCES World Wide Web Electronic Catalog is http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.
Suggested Citation
Provasnik, S., and Planty, M. (2008). Community Colleges: Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 (NCES 2008-033).
National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
For ordering information on this report, write to

ED Pubs
P.O. Box 1398
Jessup, MD 20794-1398
or call toll free 1-877-4ED-PUBS or order online at http://www.edpubs.org.
Content Contact
Michael Planty
(202) 502-7312
[email protected]
Community Colleges
Executive Summary
The Condition of Education summarizes im- High school seniors who enrolled
portant developments and trends in education immediately in community colleges in
using the latest available data. The report, 2004 spanned a broad range of academic
which is required by law, is an indicator report achievement—including students who
intended for a general audience of readers who were well-prepared for college in terms of
are interested in education. The indicators rep- their performance on standardized tests
resent a consensus of professional judgment on and coursework completed. They included
the most significant national measures of the a greater percentage of well-prepared
condition and progress of education for which seniors than did the 1992 senior cohort.
accurate data are available. For the 2008 edi-
tion, a special analysis was prepared to take a About two-thirds of 2004 seniors who
closer look at community colleges. enrolled immediately in a community college
seem to have done so with the intention of
Drawing upon a wide range of data sources pursuing a bachelor’s degree or higher: as
collected by the National Center for Education high school seniors, 28 percent had planned
Statistics (NCES), the 2008 special analysis to use a community college as a stepping
provides a descriptive profile of community stone to a bachelor’s degree and 39 percent
colleges in the United States, examines the revised their original plans to attend a
characteristics of community college students 4-year college and earn a bachelor’s degree
who entered directly from high school, and by starting their postsecondary education
looks at rates of postsecondary persistence and at a community college.
attainment among community college students
in general. It also compares the characteristics One-third of 2004 seniors who enrolled
of these institutions and of the students who immediately in a community college did
enroll in them with those of public and private so with no intention of pursuing any
4-year colleges and universities. Selected find- education higher than an associate’s
ings include: degree; however, by 2006, almost 47
percent of this group had raised their
In 2006–07, there were 1,045 community educational expectations to start or
colleges in the United States, enrolling complete a bachelor’s degree.
6.2 million students (or 35 percent of
all postsecondary students enrolled that The percentage of students who had left
year). school by 2006 without completing a
degree or certificate program was higher
Average annual community college tuition among 2003–04 community college
and fees are less than half those at public freshmen who intended to transfer to a
4-year colleges and universities and one- 4-year college than among all 2003–04
tenth those at private 4-year colleges and freshmen at public 4-year and private
universities. not-for-profit 4-year institutions.
Community colleges enroll a diverse Technical notes about the data sources, meth-
group of students, with various reasons odology, and standard errors are included at
for going to college, and have larger the end of this report. Special analyses are
percentages of nontraditional, low- available both as booklets and on the NCES
income, and minority students than Condition of Education website (http://nces.
4-year colleges and universities. ed.gov/programs/coe).
Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page iii

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
Contents
Contents
Executive Summary.................................................................................................................... iii

List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. vi
List of Figures and Exhibit..........................................................................................................viii
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1
Section 1. Institutional Characteristics ........................................................................................ 2

Number, Size, and Location ............................................................................................................................................... 2
Enrollment Patterns .......................................................................................................................................................... 2
State Community College Systems .................................................................................................................................... 5
Degrees Conferred ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Tuition and Fees ................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Faculty .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Admission Criteria ...........................................................................................................................................................10
Remedial Education ........................................................................................................................................................11
Section 2. Student Characteristics ............................................................................................ 12
Part A. Students Who Enroll in Community Colleges Immediately After High School ....................................................13
Immediate College Enrollment After High School ................................................................................................................ 14
Which Seniors Attend Community Colleges Right After High School? ............................................................................... 14
Background characteristics and immediate enrollment...................................................................................................... 14
Student achievement and immediate enrollment.............................................................................................................. 16
Students’ immediate educational plans, future educational expectations, and immediate enrollment ................................... 19
Part B. Community College Students’ Short-Term Persistence or Attainment Rate ........................................................22
Summary ................................................................................................................................. 23
Notes ....................................................................................................................................... 25
References ............................................................................................................................... 28
Special Analysis Tables .............................................................................................................. 29
Technical Notes ........................................................................................................................ 60
Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page v

List of Tables
List of Tables
Table 1. Percentage of degree-granting institutions with first-year undergraduates using various selection criteria
for admission, by control and type of institution: 2005–06 ............................................................................10
Table 2. Percentage distribution of immediate enrollees in postsecondary institutions in fall 2004, by control and
type of institution and selected academic achievement characteristics..........................................................18
Table 3. Percentage distribution of 2004 and 1992 seniors who enrolled immediately after high school in a
community college, by their educational plans and expectations as seniors and 2 years later ........................21
Table SA-1. Number of degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: Academic years 1974–75
through 2006–07...........................................................................................................................................29
Table SA-2. Number of degree-granting institutions, by enrollment size, control and type of institution, and
community type: Fall 2006 .............................................................................................................................31
Table SA-3. Percentage distribution of degree-granting institutions, by enrollment size, control and type of
institution, and community type: Fall 2006 ....................................................................................................32
Table SA-4. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: 1963 through
2006 ...............................................................................................................................................................33
Table SA-5. Number of degree-granting community colleges, size of their total enrollment, and ratio of enrollment
to adult population, by state or jurisdiction: 2005–06 ....................................................................................35
Table SA-6. Average annual undergraduate tuition and fees for full-time students in degree-granting institutions,
by control and type of institution: Academic years 1976–77 through 2006–07 .............................................37
Table SA-7. Number and percentage distribution of faculty and instructional staff in degree-granting institutions, by
control and type of institution and selected faculty characteristics: Fall 2003 .................................................38
Table SA-8. Percentage of beginning postsecondary students who reported taking various types of remedial courses
in their first year, by control and type of institution: 2003–04 ........................................................................39
Table SA-9. Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by control and type of institution and student characteristics:
2003–04 ........................................................................................................................................................40
Table SA-10. Percentage distribution of the spring 2004 12th-grade cohort, by immediate and delayed
postsecondary enrollment status, control and type of institution, and selected background
characteristics: 2004 and 2006 .......................................................................................................................41
Table SA-11. Percentage distribution of the spring 2004 12th-grade cohort who enrolled immediately after high
school in a postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and selected background
characteristics: 2004 .......................................................................................................................................42
postsecondary enrollment status, control and type of institution, and selected background
school in a postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and selected background
Page vi | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

List of Tables
List of Tables
Continued
Table SA-14. Percentage distribution of the spring 2004 12th-grade cohort, by immediate postsecondary enrollment
status and selected characteristics: 2004 ........................................................................................................45
Table SA-15. Percentage distribution of the spring 1992 12th-grade cohort, by immediate postsecondary enrollment
status and selected characteristics: 1992 ........................................................................................................48
postsecondary enrollment status, control and type of institution, and academic achievement
school in a postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and academic achievement
postsecondary enrollment status, control and type of institution, and academic achievement
school in a postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and academic achievement
Table SA-20. Percentage distribution of immediate enrollees in a postsecondary institution in fall 1994, by control
and type of institution and selected academic achievement characteristics ...................................................54
postsecondary enrollment status, control and type of institution, and educational plans and
expectations: 2004 and 2006..........................................................................................................................55
school in a postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and educational plans and
expectations: 2004 .........................................................................................................................................56
postsecondary enrollment status, control and type of institution, and educational plans and
expectations: 1992 and 1994..........................................................................................................................57
school in a postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and educational plans and
expectations: 1992 .........................................................................................................................................58
Table SA-25. Percentage of 2003–04 beginning postsecondary students who in 2006 were still enrolled and/or
had completed a degree or certificate program at any postsecondary institution, by control and type
of institution, program plans, and attendance status......................................................................................59
Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page vii

List of Figures and Exhibit
List of Figures and Exhibit
Figures
Figure 1. Number of degree-granting institutions in the United States, by control and type of institution:
Selected academic years, 1974–75 through 2006–07 ......................................................................................3
Figure 2. Percentage distribution of degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution and enrollment
size: Fall 2006 ...................................................................................................................................................3
Figure 3. Percentage of degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution and community type:
Fall 2006...........................................................................................................................................................4
Figure 4. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: 1963 through
2006 .................................................................................................................................................................4
Figure 5. Estimated number of students enrolled in each state’s community colleges, by state: Fall 2005 ......................5
Figure 6. Number of associate’s degrees conferred in the United States, by control and type of postsecondary
institution: Academic year 2005–06.................................................................................................................7
Figure 7. Average annual undergraduate tuition and fees for full-time students in degree-granting institutions,
by control and type of institution: Academic years 1976–77 through 2006–07 ..............................................7
Figure 8. Percentage distribution of faculty in degree-granting institutions, by faculty employment status,
main activity, and control and type of institution: Fall 2003..............................................................................8
Figure 9. Percentage distribution of faculty in degree-granting institutions, by highest level of educational
attainment, minority race/ethnicity, and control and type of institution: Fall 2003 ..........................................9
Figure 10. Percentage of beginning postsecondary students who reported taking remedial courses in their
first year, by control and type of institution: 2003–04 ....................................................................................11
Figure 11. Percentage of community college students reporting various reasons for enrolling in a community
college: Academic year 2003–04 ...................................................................................................................12
Figure 12. Percentage of 2004 seniors who enrolled immediately in a postsecondary institution after high school
and percentage distribution of these immediate enrollees, by control and type of institution: 2004 ..............14
and percentage distribution of these immediate enrollees, by control and type of institution and race/
ethnicity: 2004 ...............................................................................................................................................15
and percentage distribution of these immediate enrollees, by control and type of institution and
socioeconomic status: 2004 ............................................................................................................................16
Figure 15. Percentage of 2004 seniors who enrolled immediately in a community college after high school, by
race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status: 2004 ..............................................................................................17
Figure 16. Percentage of 2004 seniors who enrolled in a postsecondary institution immediately after high school,
by type of institution and high school grade point average (GPA): 2004 .........................................................17
Figure 17. Percentage of 2004 seniors who enrolled immediately in a community college or a 4-year postsecondary
institution in fall 2004, by their reported post-high school educational plans: 2004 ......................................20
Figure 18. Percentage distribution of first-time undergraduates in 2003–04, by persistence or attainment rate, control
and type of postsecondary institution, program plans, and attendance status: 2006 ......................................23
Exhibit
Exhibit A. Overview of the datasets used for the special analysis ...................................................................................61
Page viii | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Community Colleges
Community Colleges
INTRODUCTION How do state community college systems

differ?
This special analysis draws upon a wide range
of data sources collected by the National Cen- How much are tuition and fees at com-
ter for Education Statistics (NCES) to present munity colleges?
a descriptive profile of community colleges in
the United States (see exhibit A in the Technical Who teaches at community colleges?
Notes). Public 2-year postsecondary institu- What are the admission criteria at com-
tions, commonly known today as “community munity colleges?
colleges,”1 primarily award associate’s degrees
and certificates and offer a wide range of ser- Section 2 is subdivided into two parts. Part A
vices in their local communities. For example, focuses on the characteristics of students who
besides offering academic coursework to earn enroll in community colleges immediately after
a degree and occupational education or train- high school. Using longitudinal data on the
ing, community colleges help students transfer senior high school classes of 1992 and 2004,
to public 4-year postsecondary institutions part A examines the following questions:
with articulation agreements2 and provide
many forms of noncredit activities, ranging What are the characteristics of students who
from remedial coursework to community and enroll in community colleges immediately
support services (Cohen and Brawer 2003; after completing high school?
Phillippe 2004; Vaughan 2006; Coley 2000).
How do “immediate enrollees” in commun-
Furthermore, by virtue of their open admissions
ity colleges differ from those in public and
policies, they allow all individuals to register
private 4-year colleges and universities?
for courses. Consequently, community col-
leges offer educational opportunities to greater What percentage of immediate enrollees
percentages of nontraditional students3 and attend community college as a stepping
minority students than do 4-year institutions stone to a higher degree?
(Horn and Nevill 2006, p. 9).
Do the educational expectations of im-
The special analysis describes both the insti- mediate enrollees change after enrolling
tutional characteristics of community colleges in a community college?
and the characteristics of students who attend
them. It also compares the characteristics of Part B expands the analysis to look at a larger
these institutions and the students who enroll population of students than immediate enroll-
in them with those of public and private 4-year ees: it considers students who enter postsecond-
colleges and universities. The special analysis ary education at any time in their lives. Using
is organized into two sections, each of which longitudinal data from undergraduates who
presents data from various sources and exam- enrolled in a postsecondary institution for the
ines different questions. Section 1 describes the first time during the 2003–04 academic year,
institutional characteristics of community col- part B addresses the following questions:
leges and addresses the following questions:
What percentage of beginning under-
How have the number of community col- graduates at community colleges are still
leges and their enrollments changed over enrolled in college 3 years later?
time?
Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page 1

Community Colleges
Do community college students’ persistence slower rate. For example, the number of public
rates differ for full- and part-time students 4-year colleges and universities increased by 20
and by students’ academic plans? percent (from 537 to 643), while the number of
private 4-year colleges and universities increased
Neither Part A or B of section 2 provides a by 49 percent (from 1,329 to 1,986).
complete picture of the community college
student body because the available data only The typical size and location of colleges and
allow us to look at immediate enrollees and universities vary by the control and type of
first-time enrollees. In addition, community col- institution, but community colleges tend to
leges serve students who take noncredit courses have relatively moderate-sized enrollments and
and training. The longitudinal studies used in are located across all community types (see
section 2 of this report do not fully capture this table SA-2). Whereas public 4-year colleges
population of learners. and universities tend to have large enrollments
(62 percent enroll 5,000 students or more)
As mentioned above, community colleges and and private not-for-profit 4-year colleges and
their students are compared with public 4-year universities tend to have small enrollments (75
postsecondary institutions and their students percent enroll fewer than 2,500 students), the
throughout this special analysis. When pos- majority of community colleges (71 percent)
sible, comparisons are also made with private enroll between 1,000 and 10,000 students (see
not-for-profit 4-year institutions and their stu- figure 2 and table SA-3). Also unlike public
dents; however, sometimes data for all private and private not-for-profit 4-year institutions,
4-year institutions are aggregated, and thus which tend to be in cities, community colleges
some comparisons are made with all private are distributed more evenly across community
4-year institutions. Additional information types, with 29 percent each in cities and rural
about less-than-2-year, private 2-year (both areas, 24 percent in towns, and 18 percent in
not-for-profit and for-profit), and private suburban areas (see figure 3).
for-profit 4-year postsecondary institutions
is presented in figures and supporting tables
Enrollment Patterns
when possible.4
In fall 2006, over 6.2 million students (35
This special analysis relies on a combination of percent of all postsecondary students) were
data from administrative records and student enrolled in community colleges across the coun-
self-reports. When historical data are available, try (see table SA-4).6 This figure represented a
trends or historical comparisons are reported. slight decline from their peak enrollment of
Finally, it is important to note that, while many almost 6.3 million students in fall 2002, but
of the variables examined in this analysis are re- a 741 percent increase from fall 1963, when
lated to one another, the purpose of this special community colleges enrolled 739,811 students
analysis is to provide descriptive information; (see figure 4). In comparison, over this period,
thus, complex interactions and relationships the enrollment for public 4-year colleges and
have not been explored here. universities increased by 197 percent, while
the enrollment for private 4-year colleges and
SECTION 1. INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS universities increased by 170 percent. As a
result of the greater growth in enrollment for
Number, Size, and Location community colleges over this period, the dif-
Between 1974–75 and 2006–07, the number ference in total enrollment between community
of community colleges in the United States in- colleges and public 4-year colleges and universi-
creased by 17 percent, from 896 to 1,045 (see ties shrunk. In fall 1968, public 4-year colleges
table SA-1 and figure 1). The number of com- and universities enrolled over 2.1 million more
munity colleges was highest during the 1997–98 students than community colleges. By fall 2002,
academic year (1,092 institutions).5 Compared this difference had decreased to 211,233 stu-
with the growth rate of other types of post- dents; however, by fall 2006, the difference had
secondary institutions between 1974–75 and increased to 729,893 students.
2006–07, community colleges have grown at a
Page 2 | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Community Colleges
Figure 1. Number of degree-granting institutions in the United States, by control and type of institution: Selected
academic years, 1974–75 through 2006–07
Number of
institutions
1,600
Private not-for-profit 4-year
1,200
Community college
800
Public 4-year
400
Private
Private for-profit 2-year1 for-profit 4-year
0
1974–75 1978–79 1982–83 1986–87 1990–91 1994–95 1998–99 2002–03 2006–07
Academic year
1 The number of private-for-profit 2-year institutions increased markedly between 1995–96 and 1996–97 in large part because the definition of degree-granting institu-
tions adopted in 1996–97 included institutions that were not previously recognized as institutions of higher education.
NOTE: Data between 1974–75 and 1995–96 are for institutions of higher education. Data from 1996–97 onward are for degree-granting institutions. Institutions of higher
education were institutions, accredited by an agency or association recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or recognized directly by the Secretary of Education,
that had courses leading to an associate’s or higher degree or that had courses accepted for credit toward those degrees. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s
or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. The degree-granting classification is very similar to the earlier higher education classification,
but it includes more 2-year colleges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees. Changes in counts of institutions over time are partly
affected by increasing or decreasing numbers of institutions submitting separate data for branch campuses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS),“Institutional Characteristics of Colleges
and Universities” surveys, 1974–75 through 1985–86; and 1986–87 through 2006–07 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, “Institutional Characteristics
Survey” (IPEDS-IC:86–99), and Fall 2000 through Fall 2006.
Figure 2. Percentage distribution of degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution and enrollment
size: Fall 2006
Enrollment Private not-for-profit 4-year Community college Public 4-year
30,000 or more # 1 6
20,000 to 29,999 1 4 12
10,000 to 19,999 3 12 21
5,000 to 9,999 6 23 23
2,500 to 4,999 15 26 17
1,000 to 2,499 29 23 15
500 to 999 17 7 4
200 to 499 13 4 2
Under 200 15 1 #
0 10 20 30 40 50 0 10 20 30 40 50 0 10 20 30 40 50
Percent
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2006–07 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Spring 2007, Enroll-
ment component.

Community Colleges
Figure 3. Percentage of degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution and community type: Fall
2006
Percent
100
80
60
48 51
40
29 29 26
24 25
20 18 16 15
9 8
0
Community college Public 4-year Private not-for-profit 4-year
City Suburban Town Rural

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2006–07 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Spring 2007, Enroll-
ment component.
Figure 4. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: 1963 through
2006
Students enrolled
(in thousands)
8,000
7,000
Public 4-year
6,000
5,000 Community college
4,000
3,000
Private 4-year
2,000
1,000
0
1963 1966 1969 1972 1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2006
Year
NOTE: Data through 1995 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Institutions of higher education were institutions,
accredited by an agency or association recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or recognized directly by the Secretary of Education, that had courses leading to an
associate’s or higher degree or that had courses accepted for credit toward those degrees. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate
in Title IV federal financial aid programs.The degree-granting classification is very similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more 2-year colleges
and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees. Data for private 4-year institutions combine both not-for-profit and for-profit institutions.
Enrollment data do not include students who were only enrolled in noncredit courses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Opening Fall Enrollment in Higher Education, 1963 through 1966; Higher Education General
Information Survey (HEGIS),“Fall Enrollment in Institutions of Higher Education” surveys, 1966 through 1985; and 1986 through 2005 Integrated Postsecondary Education
Data System,“Fall Enrollment Survey” (IPEDS-EF:86–99), and Spring 2001 through Spring 2007.

Community Colleges
Examining growth more recently, between fall 4-year institutions and 10 percent of private
2000 and fall 2006, enrollments at community not-for-profit 4-year institutions. However, a
colleges increased by 9 percent, which was higher percentage of private for-profit 2-year
less than the increases at public 4-year insti- and 4-year institutions had minority enroll-
tutions (by 15 percent) and at private 4-year ments that were 50 percent or more of their to-
institutions (by 30 percent) (see table SA-4). tal enrollment (38 and 34 percent, respectively)
Between the most recent years for which fall than community colleges (U.S. Department of
enrollment data are available, 2005 and 2006, Education 2008b, table 220). Community col-
the enrollment at community colleges increased leges with enrollments of 25 percent or more of
by 1 percent, while enrollments increased by 2 Hispanic students may be eligible to participate
percent at public 4-year institutions and by 3 in programs for Hispanic Serving Institutions.
percent at private 4-year institutions. In addition, 11 community colleges are His-
torically Black Colleges and Universities and
Since the early 1970s, more than half of com- 17 community colleges are tribally controlled
munity college enrollments have been part-time (U.S. Department of Education 2008b, tables
students, a percentage generally at least twice 231 and 229).
that at public and private 4-year colleges and
universities (U.S. Department of Education State Community College Systems
2008b, table 187). In fall 2006, about 62
percent of community college students were Each state has its own community college sys-
enrolled part time compared with 27 percent tem, with the number of institutions and the
of students at public 4-year colleges and uni- size of their student body varying across the
versities and 25 percent of students at private states (see figure 5). The largest state commu-
4-year colleges and universities. nity college system is in California. In fall 2005,
California’s 111 community colleges enrolled
Community colleges frequently enroll relatively 1.4 million students (about 23 percent of the
large percentages of minority students com- nation’s community college students) (see table
pared with public and private not-for-profit SA-5). The smallest state community college
4-year institutions. In fall 2005, 19 percent of systems are in Rhode Island and Vermont (each
community colleges had minority enrollments of which has one community college) and in
that were 50 percent or more of their total en- Alaska and Nevada (each of which has two).
rollment compared with 15 percent of public
Figure 5. Estimated number of students enrolled in each state’s community colleges, by state: Fall 2005
Enrollment
500,000 or more (2)
200,000–499,000 (6)
100,000–199,999 (9)
50,000–99,999 (14)
Fewer than 49,999 (19)
NOTE:The total public community college enrollment for Florida excludes students enrolled at Dade County College because the college was recently reclassified in IPEDS as
a public 4-year institution by virtue of its offering bachelor’s degrees beginning in 2006. Dade County College historically has been among the nation’s largest community
colleges: in 2006, it enrolled over 51,000 students. The District of Columbia has no community colleges.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2005–06 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall 2005.

Community Colleges
The percentage of a state’s adult population (18 at community colleges was $4,100 compared
years old and older), the primary population with $8,000 at public 4-year colleges and
served by community colleges, varies across universities.9 In making these comparisons, it
the states, suggesting that the size of a state is important to bear in mind that community
community college system is not simply the colleges have a larger proportion of part-time
function of its population size. For instance, the students than 4-year colleges and universi-
two states with the largest ratio of community ties, thus the FTE student count for com-
college enrollment to adult population are munity colleges represents a greater number
California, which has the largest adult popula- of individual students than the FTE student
tion of all the states, and Wyoming, which has count for 4-year colleges and universities. In
the smallest adult population of all the states. addition, because instructional costs include
In California, community college enrollments faculty salaries, instructional costs for 4-year
equal 5.2 percent of the adult population; in colleges and universities may be higher than at
Wyoming, it equals 5.0 percent of the adult community colleges by virtue of the fact that a
population (see table SA-5). In contrast, in New greater proportion of faculty at 4-year institu-
York and Pennsylvania, two of the five states tions have doctorates, are employed full time,
with the largest adult populations, community and spend a greater portion of their time on
college enrollments as a percentage of the adult research and noninstitutional activities than
population are 1.8 and 1.3 percent, respectively. community college faculty (see the discussion
In three states (Alaska, Nevada, and South under Faculty below).
Dakota), this ratio is under 1.0 percent.
Degrees Conferred
State and local government agencies are the
primary source of funding for community Community colleges confer the majority of as-
colleges. In 2004–05, expenditures for com- sociate’s degrees awarded in the United States.
munity colleges totaled $38.6 billion, with 38 In 2005–06, community colleges conferred
percent of revenues coming from state fund- 498,229 associate’s degrees, accounting for
ing,7 20 percent from local funding, 15 per- 70 percent of all associate’s degrees awarded
cent from federal funding, and the remainder that year (see figure 6). Forty-three percent of
from student tuition and fees (17 percent) and associate’s degrees conferred by public institu-
other sources (10 percent) (U.S. Department tions were in liberal arts and sciences, general
of Education 2008b, tables 338, 339, and studies, and humanities, followed by 18 percent
348). Sources of revenue for individual public in health professions or clinical sciences and
colleges can vary widely from these averages. 12 percent in business (U.S. Department of
For example, institutions in some states receive Education 2008b, table 267).
little or no funding from local sources and those
in other states receive substantial amounts. In Tuition and Fees
comparison, expenditures for public 4-year
In 2006–07, the average annual tuition and
institutions totaled $177.2 billion, with 27
fees for a full-time, in-state student attending a
percent of revenues coming from state fund-
community college were $2,017.10 This amount
ing, 4 percent from local funding, 15 percent
was less than half the average annual tuition
from federal funding, and the remainder from
and fees at public 4-year colleges and universi-
student tuition and fees (16 percent) and other
ties for full-time, in-state students ($5,685) and
sources (38 percent).
about one-tenth the average annual tuition and
Community colleges have lower expenditures fees at private 4-year colleges and universities
than public 4-year colleges and universities. ($20,492) (see table SA-6).
In 2004–05, the average total expenditure per
Between 1976–77 and 2006–07, average tu-
full-time-equivalent (FTE) student at a com-
ition and fees at community colleges increased
munity college was $10,500 compared with
by 105 percent, accounting for inflation (a
$31,900 at a public 4-year college or university
$1,032 increase, in constant dollars) (see fig-
(U.S. Department of Education 2008b, table
ure 7). Over this period, average tuition and
348).8 The instructional cost per FTE student
fees at public 4-year institutions increased by

Community Colleges
Figure 6. Number of associate’s degrees conferred in the United States, by control and type of postsecondary institu-
tion: Academic year 2005–06
Control and type of

postsecondary institution
Public
2-year Community college 498,229
4-year 58,905
Private not-for-profit
2-year 9,202
4-year 37,240
Private for-profit
2-year 57,445
4-year 52,045
0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000

Number of associate’s degrees conferred
NOTE: Data are for degree-granting institutions, which grant associate’s degrees or higher and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs.
Figure 7. Average annual undergraduate tuition and fees for full-time students in degree-granting institutions, by
control and type of institution: Academic years 1976–77 through 2006–07
Average tuition
and fees [In constant 2006–07 dollars]
$21,000
Private 4-year
18,000
15,000
12,000
9,000
6,000
Public 4-year
3,000 Community college
0
1976–77 1979–80 1982–83 1985–86 1988–89 1991–92 1994–95 1997–98 2000–01 2003–04 2006–07
Academic year
NOTE: Data are for the entire academic year and are average total charges for full-time attendance. Data through 1995–96 are for institutions of higher education, while
later data are for degree-granting institutions. Institutions of higher education were institutions, accredited by an agency or association recognized by the U.S. Department
of Education or recognized directly by the Secretary of Education, that had courses leading to an associate’s or higher degree or that had courses accepted for credit toward
those degrees. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs.The degree-granting classification
is similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more 2-year colleges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees.
Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Data for private 4-year institutions combine both not-for-profit and for-profit institutions. Detail may
not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), “Institutional Characteristics of
Colleges and Universities” surveys, 1976–77 through 1985–86;“Fall Enrollment in Institutions of Higher Education” surveys, 1976 through 1985; and 1986–87 through
2005–06 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, “Fall Enrollment Survey” (IPEDS-EF:86–99), “Institutional Characteristics Survey” (IPEDS-C:86–99), Spring
2001 through Spring 2006, and Fall 2000 through Fall 2006.

Community Colleges
165 percent (a $3,540 increase), and by 133 Faculty

percent (a $11,678 increase) at private 4-year
The faculty and instructional staff at community
institutions. In recent years, the rate of increase
colleges differ in various ways from those at pub-
in average tuition and fees at community col-
lic and private 4-year colleges and universities.
leges has remained lower than it has at public
Unlike their colleagues at 4-year institutions, a
4-year institutions but has been higher than at
majority of faculty at community colleges hold
private 4-year institutions. The average amount
part-time appointments. In fall 2003, two-thirds
of increase in constant dollars, however, has
of faculty at community colleges were employed
been lower at community colleges than at either
part time (over 240,000 faculty), and one-
public or private 4-year institutions. Between
third were employed full time (approximately
1999–2000 and 2006–07, average tuition and
121,000 faculty) (see figure 8 and table SA-7).
fees at community colleges increased by 25
In comparison, at public 4-year institutions,
percent (a $405 increase), compared with 41
28 percent of faculty were employed part time
percent for public 4-year institutions (a $1,646
that year, while at private 4-year institutions, 42
increase) and 16 percent for private 4-year
percent were employed part time.
institutions (a $2,901 increase).
Figure 8. Percentage distribution of faculty in degree-granting institutions, by faculty employment status, main
activity, and control and type of institution: Fall 2003
Employment
33
Full-time 72
58
67
Part-time 28
42
Main activity
89 Community college
Teaching 63 Public 4-year
72 Private 4-year
#
Research 15
9
3
Administration 9
8
8
Other 13
11
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Data for private 4-year institutions combine both not-for-profit and for-profit institutions. Faculty include instructional staff.The “Other” category under main activity
includes respondents who answered that their primary activity at their college or university was public service, clinical service, on sabbatical, or some other activity. Detail
may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04).

Community Colleges
The primary activity of almost 90 percent community colleges than at public or private
of faculty at community colleges is teaching, 4-year institutions have a master’s degree or
with virtually no faculty devoted primarily to less as their highest level of educational attain-
research. In addition, compared with faculty at ment (see figure 9). At community colleges,
4-year institutions, smaller percentages at com- there is relative parity in the percentage of
munity colleges report administrative duties as male and female faculty compared with public
their main activity (8–9 percent compared with and private 4-year institutions where males
3 percent). The percentage of faculty that serve predominate (constituting about 60 percent of
primarily in an administrative role, however, faculty members) (see table SA-7). In addition,
is small across all institution types (less than at community colleges, there are greater per-
10 percent). centages of Black and Hispanic faculty than at
public or private 4-year institutions. However,
The demographics of the faculty at commu- 80 to 85 percent of the faculty are White at all
nity colleges also differ from those at 4-year three types of institutions.
institutions. Larger percentages of faculty at
Figure 9. Percentage distribution of faculty in degree-granting institutions, by highest level of educational attain-
ment, minority race/ethnicity, and control and type of institution: Fall 2003
Highest level
of educational
attainment
12
Less than bachelor’s 1
1
18
Bachelor’s 5
5
55
Master’s 26
34
3
First-professional 9
11
12 Community college
Doctorate 58 Public 4-year
48
Private 4-year
Minority faculty
7
Black 5
5
5
Hispanic 3
3
3
Asian 9
6
1
American Indian/
#
Alaska Native
#
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Not all race categories shown. Data for private 4-year institutions combine both not-for-profit and for-profit
institutions. Faculty include instructional staff. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
Admission Criteria remedial courses in the subjects.11 Moreover,

at times community colleges cap enrollments
Unlike most 4-year colleges and universities,
in courses or reduce course offerings in some
the great majority of community colleges (95
subject areas (Evelyn 2003).
percent in 2005–06) have an “open admis-
sions” policy, which means that students In the 2005–06 academic year, only 4 percent
neither need to compete for admission at a of community colleges reported having one or
set time of the year nor demonstrate a level more requirements for admission. The most
of academic proficiency to enroll (see table 1). commonly reported admission requirement
Instead, anyone can apply (and be admitted) for community colleges in 2005–06 was a
year round. However, admission does not high school record (required by 4.2 percent of
mean students can freely take any courses for community colleges), followed by the Test of
academic credit. In many community college English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (re-
systems, admitted students are not eligible to quired by 3.9 percent), college admission test
take courses for academic credit in particular scores, such as the SAT or ACT (required by
subjects until they demonstrate certain levels of 2.4 percent), and high school grades (required
proficiency in those subjects or have completed by 2.2 percent).
Table 1. Percentage of degree-granting institutions with first-year undergraduates using various selection criteria
for admission, by control and type of institution: 2005–06
2-year 4-year
Private Private
Not-for- For- Not-for- For-
Criteria for admission Public Total profit profit Public Total profit profit
Open admissions 95.4 52.4 40.5 54.9 13.6 20.1 13.1 43.5
Some admission requirements1 4.3 40.8 57.7 37.2 86.1 78.5 86.5 51.6
High school grades 2.2 7.4 25.2 3.6 68.4 53.0 66.2 8.6
High school class rank 0.2 1.6 6.3 0.6 28.7 16.0 20.5 0.8
High school record 4.2 35.4 55.0 31.3 78.2 71.6 79.7 44.3
College preparatory program 0.8 0.3 1.8 0.0 47.1 18.8 24.3 0.5
Recommendations 0.2 6.3 23.4 2.7 7.7 40.8 51.5 5.1
Demonstration of competencies2 0.2 8.4 9.0 8.3 6.1 11.1 10.3 13.8
Test scores3 2.4 3.0 12.6 1.0 82.3 55.2 70.5 4.1
TOEFL4 3.9 12.3 27.0 9.2 79.3 63.8 70.6 41.1
Guidelines used for admission
decisions 0.3 6.8 1.8 7.9 0.3 1.4 0.4 4.9
1 Many institutions have more than one admission requirement.
2 Formal demonstration of competencies (e.g., portfolios, certificates of mastery, assessment instruments).
3 Includes SAT, ACT, or other admission tests.
4 Test of English as a Foreign Language.
NOTE: Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
Remedial Education 19 percent of students at public 4-year institu-

tions) reported having taken some remedial
One of the key educational tasks that has fallen
coursework in their first year (see figure 10
to community colleges is to offer developmental
and table SA-8).13 Mathematics was the most
or remedial education to prepare students who,
common remedial course reported by beginning
for one reason or another, are not ready for
postsecondary students (15 percent enrolled in
college-level coursework. Remedial courses,
remedial mathematics) and by beginning com-
usually in mathematics, English, or writing,
munity college students (22 percent) in 2004.
provide instruction to shore up the basic
Ten percent of beginning community college
fundamentals within a subject and to develop
students reported having taken remedial read-
studying and social habits related to academic
ing, 10 percent reported having taken remedial
success. Given the large increases in postsec-
writing, and 8 percent reported having taken
ondary student enrollment and the open ad-
remedial English.
missions policies offered by many institutions
(see table 1), student populations have become The reader should interpret these estimates of
increasingly diverse and many new students remedial coursework as being at the low end
(especially nontraditional students12) are enter- of a range because the estimates only account
ing college each year. As a result of the growing for students’ coursework in their first year and
need for remediation on campuses, some states not over their entire postsecondary education.
require students to take remedial coursework at Moreover, these estimates are based on student
community colleges and have in turn stopped self-reports and may not fully capture all reme-
offering these courses at public 4-year institu- dial coursetaking because some students may
tions (Cohen and Brawer 2003, p. 264). not recognize a class as being remedial or they
may fail to report it for other reasons. When
Based on a survey of beginning postsecond-
compared with estimates generated from post-
ary students in 2003–04, about 29 percent of
secondary student transcripts, student estimates
community college students (compared with
are often lower (Adelman 2006).14
Figure 10. Percentage of beginning postsecondary students who reported taking remedial courses in their first year,
by control and type of institution: 2003–04
Percent
50
40
30 29
21
20 19
15
10
0
All postsecondary Community college Public 4-year Private not-for-profit
students students students 4-year students
NOTE: Data reflect self-reported remedial courses. These data include students enrolled at postsecondary institutions in Puerto Rico.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003/04 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, First Follow-up
(BPS:04/06).

Community Colleges
SECTION 2. STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS community college students were 30 years old

or older (compared with 13 percent at public
Community college students are a diverse 4-year institutions and 21 percent at private
group who report various reasons for going not-for-profit 4-year institutions), 18 percent
to a community college. In 2003–04, nearly were between 24 and 29 years old (compared
40 percent of community college students with 16 percent at public 4-year institutions
were dependent students (i.e., under 24 years and 12 percent at private not-for-profit 4-year
old and not independent financially from their institutions), and 38 percent were between 19
parents), 26 percent were 24 years old or older and 23 years old (compared with 60 percent
and financially independent from their parents, at public 4-year institutions and 55 percent at
20 percent were independent and married with private not-for-profit 4-year institutions).
children, and 15 percent were independent,
single parents (Horn and Nevill 2006, table Community college students also differed
2).15 That same year, when asked to identify one from their peers enrolled in public and private
or more reasons why they enrolled in a com- 4-year institutions in terms of sex, race/eth-
munity college, over one-third of community nicity, and income level. About 59 percent of
college students reported that they enrolled in community college students in 2003–04 were
order to transfer to a 4-year college, 43 percent female, a greater percentage than at public
reported seeking an associate’s degree, 17 per- 4-year institutions (54 percent) and at private
cent reported seeking a certificate, 42 percent not-for-profit 4-year institutions (56 percent).
reported seeking job skills, and 46 percent The majority of community college students
reported enrolling for personal interest (see were White in 2003–04, but Black and His-
figure 11). In addition, compared with students panic students made up a larger percentage of
attending 4-year colleges and universities in the student body in community colleges than
2003–04, higher proportions of community in public 4-year institutions: 15 percent of
college students were older, female, and from community college students were Black, and
low-income families, and lower proportions 14 percent were Hispanic (see table SA-9). In
were White (Horn and Nevill 2006, p. 9). comparison, 10 percent of students at public
4-year institutions were Black, and 9 percent
In 2003–04, the median age of community were Hispanic. The percentage of students at
college students (24 years old) was higher than private not-for-profit 4-year institutions who
the median age for both public and private were Black was not measurably different from
not-for-profit 4-year college students (21 years that at community colleges, but the percentage
old) (see table SA-9). Thirty-five percent of of Hispanics (12 percent) was smaller. When
Figure 11. Percentage of community college students reporting various reasons for enrolling in a community college:
Academic year 2003–04
Transfer to a 4-year institution 36
Transfer to another college 15
Complete an associate’s degree 43
Complete certificate 17
Obtain job skills 42
Personal interest 46
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
NOTE: Respondents could cite more than one reason for attending. Estimates include students enrolled in community colleges in Puerto Rico.
SOURCE: Horn, L., and Nevill, S. (2006). Profile of Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions: 2003–04, With a Special Analysis of Community College
Students (NCES 2006-184), table 6, data from U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study
(NPSAS:04).

Community Colleges
incomes for community college students are inform. Thus, the rest of this section focuses
compared with poverty thresholds, 26 percent on two subgroups of the entire community
of community college students were in the low- college student population: (1) students who
est income level in 2003–04, compared with enrolled immediately in community colleges
20 percent of students in public and private after high school17 and (2) first-time freshmen
not-for-profit 4-year institutions (Horn and in community colleges.
Nevill 2006, table 2).16
Part A of this section examines the immedi-
Among community college students, general ate college enrollment patterns of high school
levels of commitment to completing a formal seniors in 2004 and 1992 to understand which
degree program also varied. A 2006 NCES students go to a community college instead of
study using NPSAS:04 data classified 2003–04 a 4-year college or university immediately after
community college students into three commit- high school. It also looks at how the educa-
ment levels: “more committed,” “less commit- tional expectations of these seniors changed
ted,” and “not committed” (Horn and Nevill after enrolling in a community college. Part
2006, p. 19). For this analysis, a student’s B of this section examines persistence and at-
level of commitment was based on three fac- tainment rates within a broader population of
tors: enrollment in a formal degree or transfer community college students—those who were
program; intensity of attendance (full-time, less freshmen for the first-time during the 2003–04
than full-time but at least half-time, less than academic year—to see how many community
half-time); and the student’s reason for enroll- college students persist in college or earn a de-
ing in a community college. Community college gree or credential within 3 years. Limitations
students were classified as “more committed” due to the relatively short follow-up periods
if they (1) were enrolled in a formal transfer, in the longitudinal studies prevent a detailed
associate’s degree, or certificate program; (2) discussion about transfer students. Transfers
attended at least half time; and (3) reported that are included in these measures, but they are not
they enrolled in order to transfer to a 4-year identified as a separate category in the tables.
institution or to earn an associate’s degree or
vocational certificate. Students were designated Part A. Students Who Enroll in Community
as “less committed” if they (1) enrolled in for- Colleges Immediately After High School
mal degree or transfer programs but did not
Data from two surveys are used here to describe
report explicit intentions to complete a degree
the characteristics of students who enroll im-
or transfer or (2) attended classes less than half
mediately after high school in community col-
time. Students were designated as “not com-
leges and to determine if there have been any
mitted” if they were not enrolled in a formal
changes in these characteristics over time. The
degree program (e.g., students who enrolled
most recent data come from the Education Lon-
to take a course or two for personal enrich-
gitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), “Second
ment). Applying this taxonomy, 49 percent
Follow-up, 2006,” a longitudinal study that
of 2003–04 community college students were
began with a nationally representative cohort
found to be “more committed,” 39 percent
of high school sophomores in 2002. These same
were “less committed,” and 12 percent were
students were interviewed again in 2004, when
“not committed.”
most were seniors,18 and then a second time in
Given the great diversity of community college 2006, when most had begun their postsecond-
students, their varying reasons for attending ary education or gotten jobs. The ELS:2002
community colleges, and their different levels data allow us to map out what percentage of
of commitment, any analysis of community the senior class of 2004 enrolled immediately
college students—especially one that looks in college as well as the type of college in which
at their access to postsecondary education they enrolled. Moreover, these data allow us to
and their persistence and attainment once compare students who enrolled in community
enrolled—is complicated. This special analysis colleges with their peers who enrolled in 4-year
attempts simply to address parts of these issues, colleges and universities by sex, race/ethnicity,
particularly those that recent NCES data can and socioeconomic status, and by measures of

Community Colleges
high school academic preparation (coursework) 2004,21 but a smaller percentage (51 percent)
and ability (using 10th-grade mathematics as- were immediate enrollees (see table SA-12).
sessment scores). Among immediate enrollees in 1992, however,
the percentage who enrolled in a community
In this special analysis, ELS data are compared college (31 percent) was about the same as in
with data on the senior high school class of 2004 (see table SA-13).
1992 to see if there are any differences between
immediate enrollees at community colleges in Which Seniors Attend Community Colleges
2004 and over a decade earlier. Data on the Right After High School?
senior high school class of 1992 come from
the National Education Longitudinal Study Background characteristics and immediate
of 1988 (NELS:88), an earlier longitudinal enrollment
study that began with a nationally representa- Among 2004 seniors, a greater percentage of fe-
tive cohort of 8th-graders in 1988. This study males than males were immediate enrollees (67
interviewed the students in the sample in 1992, vs. 59 percent) (see table SA-10).22 However,
when most were seniors,19 and followed up among those immediate enrollees, no measur-
again in 1994, when most had begun their able difference was found between the percent-
postsecondary education or gotten jobs. age of females and males who enrolled in a
community college (29 vs. 31 percent) because
Immediate College Enrollment After High females enrolled in 4-year institutions at higher
School rates than males (see table SA-11). Among all
In 2004, among students who were in the 12th 2004 seniors, the percentages of Asians/Pacific
grade in the spring (hereafter referred to as Islanders and Whites who enrolled immediately
“2004 seniors”), almost all graduated from after high school in a postsecondary institution
high school,20 and the majority (63 percent) (75 and 69 percent, respectively) were greater
enrolled in a postsecondary institution in the than the percentages of Blacks (53 percent),
fall (hereafter referred to as “immediate enroll- Hispanics (47 percent), and American Indians/
ees”) (see figure 12 and table SA-10). Roughly Alaska Natives (46 percent) who did so (see fig-
one-third of these immediate enrollees (30 ure 13). However, among immediate enrollees,
percent) enrolled in a community college (see a greater percentage of Hispanics enrolled in a
table SA-11). In 1992, the same percentage community college than Asians/Pacific Island-
of seniors graduated from high school as in ers, Whites, Blacks, or students of more than
Figure 12. Percentage of 2004 seniors who enrolled immediately in a postsecondary institution after high school and
percentage distribution of these immediate enrollees, by control and type of institution: 2004
Percent
100
80
63
60
45
40
30
21
20
0
Immediate Community Public Private
postsecondary college 4-year not-for-profit
enrollment 4-year
Among immediate enrollees
NOTE: Immediate enrollees in other types of postsecondary institutions are not shown.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002),“Second Follow-up, 2006.”

Community Colleges
percentage distribution of these immediate enrollees, by control and type of institution and race/ethnicity:
2004
Percent
100
80 75
69
61
60 53 52
47 46 46 46 47 45
37 40
40 33
28 30 25 24 22 23
20
20 16 13 15!
0
Immediate Community college Public 4-year Private not-for-profit
postsecondary 4-year
enrollment
White Black Hispanic Asian/ American Indian/ More than

Pacific Islander Alaska Native one race
! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable).

NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Immediate enrollees in other types of postsecondary institutions not shown.
one race (46 percent vs. 25, 28, 30, and 24 2004 seniors, as students’ parental education
percent, respectively). These same patterns by and income increased, so did the percentage
sex and race/ethnicity were observed in 1992 who enrolled immediately in a postsecond-
(see tables SA-12 and SA-13).23 ary institution. And again, among immediate
enrollees, the inverse was true for enrollment
The same relationship found with sex and in community colleges: as students’ parental
race/ethnicity—whereby those students with education and family income increased, the
the highest rates of immediate enrollment percentage who enrolled immediately in a
in a postsecondary institution had among community college decreased (see table SA-11).
the lowest rates of enrollment in community These same differences by SES, parental educa-
colleges—was also apparent when looking tion, and family income were detected among
at 12th-graders’ family socioeconomic status 1992 seniors (see tables SA-12 and SA-13).
(SES), parents’ highest level of education, and
income. SES is a composite measure created In sum, these data suggest that, like the com-
using parents’ income, level of education, and munity college population as a whole, the
occupation. These three separate measures population of immediate enrollees going to
yield consistent findings. community colleges includes seniors from
a wide spectrum of family backgrounds.
Among all 2004 seniors, a greater percentage However, at the same time, these immediate
of students from families within the highest enrollees consist disproportionately of seniors
quarter of SES enrolled immediately in college who are among the least likely to attend a
than students from families within the lowest 4-year college or university right out of high
quarter of SES (82 vs. 42 percent) (see figure 14 school—Hispanics and those from families in
and table SA-10).24 However, among immedi- the lowest quarter of SES. This does not mean
ate enrollees, 17 percent of students from the that these two groups constitute a majority of
highest SES families enrolled in a community immediate enrollees in community colleges, but
college, whereas 44 percent of students from rather that they enroll at higher rates than their
the lowest SES families did so. Likewise, among peers. Indeed, looking at differences by race/

Community Colleges
percentage distribution of these immediate enrollees, by control and type of institution and socioeconomic
status: 2004
Percent
100
82
80
62
60
51
42 44 43
40 35 35
29
20 17 17
12
0
Immediate Community Public Private
postsecondary college 4-year not-for-profit
enrollment 4-year
Lowest 25 percent Middle 50 percent Highest 25 percent

Socioeconomic status
NOTE: Immediate enrollees in other types of postsecondary institutions are not shown.
ethnicity while controlling for SES, underscores rates generally than in 4-year institutions (see
that (1) Hispanic immediate enrollees, regard- figure 16 and tables SA-16 and SA-17). This
less of family SES, generally enroll at higher same pattern held true when comparing other
rates in community colleges than their peers measures of academic achievement:
of other races/ethnicities (except American
Indians/Alaska Natives) and (2) immediate Seniors with standardized mathematics
enrollees from the lowest SES families enroll in scores in the top half of 12th-graders
community colleges at higher rates than their enrolled immediately in 4-year institutions
peers from the highest SES families regardless at higher rates than in community colleges,
of being White, Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific while the opposite was true for those with
Islander, or more than one race (see figure 15). standardized mathematics scores in the
Among American Indian/Alaska Native imme- bottom quarter.
diate enrollees, however, family SES does not Seniors who had completed mathematics
seem to be related to the rates at which they coursework more advanced than algebra
enroll in community colleges. II enrolled immediately in 4-year instit-
Student achievement and immediate enroll- utions at higher rates than in community
ment colleges, while the reverse was true for
those whose highest level of mathematics
Among 2004 seniors, the rate of immediate
coursework was algebra I/geometry or
enrollment in community colleges and in 4-year
below.
colleges and universities differed by academic
achievement. For example, seniors who had Seniors who had coursework more advanced
a high school GPA above 2.5 (i.e., generally than general biology enrolled immediately
equivalent to a C+ or better) enrolled imme- in 4-year institutions at higher rates than in
diately in 4-year institutions at higher rates community colleges, while the reverse was
than in community colleges; while those whose true for those whose highest level of science
high school GPA was 2.5 or below enrolled coursework was general biology or below.
immediately in community colleges at higher

Community Colleges
Figure 15. Percentage of 2004 seniors who enrolled immediately in a community college after high school, by race/
ethnicity and socioeconomic status: 2004
Percent
100
80
60 53
43 43 42
40 38 35
31 30
20 17 17 15 15
0
White Black Hispanic Asian/ American More than
Pacific Indian/ one race
Islander Alaska
Native
Lowest 25 percent Highest 25 percent

NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.

Figure 16. Percentage of 2004 seniors who enrolled in a postsecondary institution immediately after high school, by
type of institution and high school grade point average (GPA): 2004
Percent
100
80
60 Any 4-year
institution
59 78
37 Community
40
19 college
20 8
5! 19 24 26
18
10 10
0
1.50 or 1.51–2.00 2.01–2.50 2.51–3.00 3.01–3.50 3.51–4.00
below
GPAs 2.5 and under GPAs above 2.5

NOTE: Individual columns do not add to 100 because 2004 seniors who enrolled in other postsecondary institutions, delayed enrollees, and those who did not enroll in a
postsecondary institution before 2006 are not shown.

Community Colleges
Seniors who had completed foreign language mind that smaller percentages of these seniors
coursework at or more advanced than year go to college than their better qualified or bet-
2 enrolled immediately in 4-year institutions ter prepared peers. This means that the differ-
at higher rates than in community colleges, ences in the rates of immediate enrollment in
while the reverse was true for those who had community colleges by academic achievement
completed year 1 or no foreign language do not necessarily tell us anything about the
coursework. proportions of better prepared or better quali-
fied students among the immediate enrollees
Among 1992 seniors, these same patterns gen- in community colleges. For example, even
erally were found for these last four measures though 2004 seniors with higher GPAs tended
(see tables SA-18 and SA-19).25 No comparison to enroll at community colleges at lower rates
with 1992 immediate enrollees by GPA is pos- than in 4-year institutions, among immediate
sible because NELS and ELS did not collect enrollees in community colleges the percentage
comparable information on grades.26 with GPAs above 2.5 was actually larger than
Although this pattern might seem to indicate the percentage with lower GPAs (64 vs. 36
that seniors with either weaker academic percent) (see table 2).
achievement or weaker high school records The results are mixed when one looks at the
enroll immediately in community colleges in other measures of academic achievement in
larger numbers than their better qualified or table 2. Among the immediate enrollees in
better prepared peers, it is important to keep in community colleges in fall 2004,
Table 2. Percentage distribution of immediate enrollees in postsecondary institutions in fall 2004, by control and
type of institution and selected academic achievement characteristics
In 4-year institution1
Community Private not-
Academic achievement characteristic All college Public for-profit
Total 1,849,000 551,000 832,000 379,000
Cumulative GPA for grade 122
2.5 or below 19.6 36.2 10.1 9.7
Above 2.5 80.4 63.8 89.9 90.3
12th-grade standardized mathematics score
Bottom half 35.6 60.4 22.9 20.0
Top half 64.4 39.6 77.1 80.0
Highest level of mathematics completed in
high school2
Algebra II or below 36.7 62.4 23.8 20.7
More advanced than algebra II 63.3 37.6 76.2 79.3
Highest level of science completed in
high school2
General biology or below 20.4 37.2 11.9 9.8
More advanced than general biology 79.6 62.8 88.1 90.2
Highest level of foreign language study
completed in high school2
Year 2 or below 57.5 76.2 51.7 38.1
More advanced than year 2 42.5 23.8 48.3 61.9
1 Private for-profit 4-year institutions are not shown separately.
2 Denominator excludes 7 percent of students who had incomplete or missing transcript data.
NOTE: Not all types of postsecondary institutions shown. Academic levels are labeled according to the most commonly known course at that level; courses with different
names or on topics of different but similar academic difficulty may be included under these rubrics. For details on coursework classification, see the Technical Notes and
Methodology in Planty, M., Provasnik, S., and Daniel, B. (2007). High School Coursetaking: Findings from the Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007-065). Data include a
few cases of students who enrolled immediately in a postsecondary institution for which the control of the institution was unknown.These cases are included in the “All”
column, but they are not included in the distributions showing control of institution. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
a greater percentage had completed tive on the extent to which students—among

science coursework more advanced than those who intend to eventually get a bachelor’s
general biology than had completed degree—start their postsecondary education at
less academically challenging science a community college. Their responses also can
coursework (63 vs. 37 percent); help clarify what percentage of students, who
intend to go to a 4-year college or university
however, when they are high school seniors, started out
a smaller percentage scored in the top at a community college. Comparing students’
half of 12th-graders in mathematics than expectations while seniors in high school with
in the bottom half (40 vs. 60 percent), their expectations 2 years after enrolling in
a community college may also provide some
a smaller percentage had completed perspective on the extent to which students’
mathematics coursework more advanced experience in a community college raises or
than algebra II than had completed less lowers their educational expectations.
academically challenging mathematics (38
vs. 62 percent), and When asked about their immediate plans after
high school, 62 percent of 2004 seniors said
a smaller percentage had completed foreign they planned to attend a 4-year college or uni-
language coursework more advanced versity after high school, and 22 percent said
than year 2 than had completed less they planned to attend a 2-year college (see
academically challenging foreign language table SA-14). Among those who said they ex-
coursework (24 vs. 76 percent). pected to attend a 4-year college or university,
13 percent actually enrolled in a community
By comparison, among the 1992 immediate college in the fall (65 percent enrolled in a
enrollees in community colleges, across all 4-year college or university) (see figure 17 and
four measures of academic achievement, the table SA-21).27
percentage of better qualified or better prepared
students was smaller than the percentage who When asked about their expectations for their
had weaker academic qualifications or prepara- highest educational attainment, 35 percent of
tion (see table SA-20). 2004 seniors said they expected to it to be a
graduate degree, 37 percent said a bachelor’s
In sum, these data suggest that 12th-graders degree,28 and 15 percent said attending or com-
who enrolled immediately in community col- pleting 2-year college (see table SA-14). Among
leges in 2004 not only spanned a broad range those who expected their highest educational
of academic achievement—including some attainment to be a graduate degree, 14 percent
students who were very well-prepared for enrolled in a community college in the fall (see
college—but also included a greater propor- table SA-21), while among those who expected
tion of well-prepared students than did the it to be a bachelor’s degree, 22 percent did so.
1992 senior cohort. In addition, these data Among those who said they expected their
suggest that many 2004 immediate enrollees in highest educational attainment to be attend-
community colleges were students with a high ing or completing 2-year college, 26 percent
school GPA of C+ or above but who lacked enrolled in a community college (and 5 percent
mathematics coursework beyond algebra II, in a 4-year college or university).29
foreign language coursework beyond year 2,
or both. These two sets of statistics independently pro-
vide some context for the percentage of 2004
Students’ immediate educational plans, future seniors who enrolled immediately at a com-
educational expectations, and immediate en- munity college yet intended to earn more than
rollment an associate’s degree. However, independently
In both ELS and NELS, students were asked they do not reveal what percentage of these
what their plans were right after high school immediate enrollees—i.e., immediate commu-
and what they expected their highest level of nity college enrollees who sought to attain a
educational attainment would be. The 2004 bachelor’s degree or higher—actually enrolled
and 1992 seniors’ responses provide perspec- because they planned on using the community

Community Colleges
Figure 17. Percentage of 2004 seniors who enrolled immediately in a community college or a 4-year postsecondary
institution in fall 2004, by their reported post-high school educational plans: 2004
Post-high school plans
Vocational, technical, or trade school 13

5
2-year college 41
5
13
4-year college or university
65
5!
Don’t plan to continue
#
Don’t know or unspecified plans 12

4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
Community college
4-year institution
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Detail do not sum to 100 because the percentages of seniors who did not enroll immediately in college and the percentages who enrolled in other types of
postsecondary institutions are not shown.
college as a “stepping stone” versus the percent- intended to pursue some postsecondary educa-
age who did so because their plans to attend tion, not what level of postsecondary institution
a 4-year institution did not come to fruition. they planned to attend.)
However, if one examines these immediate
enrollees’ post-high school plans, accounting Students’ educational expectations, of course,
for their educational expectations, one can get are not fixed and many personal, social, eco-
a sense of the percentage of 2004 seniors who nomic, and institutional factors can change
deliberately chose to use community colleges as them. However, examining changes in the edu-
a stepping stone versus the percentage whose cational expectations of seniors who enrolled
initial post-high school plans did not include a immediately after high school in a community
community college.30 Among the 551,000 se- college provides some sense of the extent to
niors who enrolled immediately in community which this experience was associated with
colleges in the fall of 2004, higher or lower educational expectations.
about 28 percent had said as seniors that Among the 2004 seniors who had said that their
they (1) planned on attending a 2-year highest level of educational attainment would
institution immediately after high school be to attend or complete a 2-year college and
and (2) expected to earn a bachelor’s who actually enrolled immediately in a commu-
degree or higher, while nity college, 47 percent had higher educational
expectations when asked again in 2006 (36
about 39 percent had said as seniors that percent expected to attend a 4-year college or
they (1) planned on attending a 4-year university, and 11 percent expected to obtain a
institution immediately after high school graduate degree); 14 percent said they no longer
and (2) expected to earn a bachelor’s knew what their highest educational attainment
degree or higher (data not shown). would be (see table 3).31 Among those who had
said as seniors that their highest educational
(Such estimates for 1992 seniors are not pos- attainment would be to attend or complete a
sible because NELS only asked seniors if they 4-year college and who actually enrolled im-

Community Colleges
mediately in a 2-year college, 79 percent still enrollees who raised their educational expecta-
expected to earn a bachelor’s degree when asked tions after 2 years. However, a smaller percent-
again in 2006 (14 percent had lowered their age of 2004 than 1992 immediate community
expectation to attending a 2-year college, and 7 college enrollees who as seniors said that their
percent no longer knew what their highest level highest educational attainment would be a
of educational attainment would be).32 Among bachelor’s degree lowered their educational
those who had said as seniors that their highest expectations after 2 years (14 vs. 18 percent).
educational attainment would be a graduate In addition, a greater percentage of 2004 than
degree and who actually enrolled immediately 1992 immediate community college enrollees
in a 2-year college, 54 percent still expected to who as seniors said that their highest educa-
earn a graduate degree when asked again in tional attainment would be a graduate degree
2006 what their highest educational attainment still had this expectation when asked 2 years
would be (32 percent had lowered their expecta- later (54 vs. 43 percent).
tion to attending or completing a 4-year college,
8 percent had lowered it to attending a 2-year In sum, these data suggest that about two-thirds
college, and 5 percent no longer knew what their of 2004 seniors who enrolled immediately in
highest educational attainment would be). a community college did so with the intention
of pursuing a bachelor’s degree or higher: 28
Comparing these percentages with those for percent deliberately using the community col-
1992 seniors’ expectations in 1994, reveals no lege as a stepping stone and 39 percent revising
measurable differences in the percentages of their postsecondary education plans and start-
2004 and 1992 immediate community college ing at a community college. The other one-third
Table 3. Percentage distribution of 2004 and 1992 seniors who enrolled immediately after high school in a community
college, by their educational plans and expectations as seniors and 2 years later
Highest educational attainment expected
when asked 2 years later
Attend or Attend or
complete complete Obtain
Don’t 2-year 4-year graduate
Plans and expectations Total All know college college degree
2004 immediate community college enrollees

when in 12th-grade (2004) 100.0
Don’t know 8.0 100.0 18.3 19.5 40.1 22.1
High school diploma or less 1.4 100.0 17.4! 32.7! 36.4 13.6!
Attend or complete 2-year college 20.9 100.0 13.9 39.6 35.9 10.6
Obtain graduate degree 26.1 100.0 5.4 7.9 32.4 54.2

when in 12th-grade (1992) 100.0
Don’t know 4.1 100.0 ‡ 21.8 49.8 26.2
High school diploma or less 1.0! 100.0 # 47.0 27.1! 25.9!
Attend or complete 2-year college 9.4 100.0 2.3! 58.1 30.2 9.5
Obtain graduate degree 25.7 100.0 ‡ 12.6 44.0 43.0
# Rounds to zero.
‡ Reporting standards not met (sample size too small or standard error greater than estimate).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88/92),“Second Follow-up, 1992.”

Community Colleges
of these seniors who enrolled in a community In 2006, about 50 percent of students who
college did so with no declared intention of began at a community college in 2003–04
pursuing any education higher than an as- were still enrolled in college (either in the
sociate’s degree; however, by 2006, almost 47 same school or having transferred to a new
percent of them had raised their educational school),36 6 percent had completed a degree
expectations to at least attend or complete a or certificate program and left college, and 45
4-year college.33 percent had left college without completing a
degree or certificate program (see table SA-
Expectations, of course, are not a guarantee of 25).37 A greater percentage of these first-time
achievement. Thus, this analysis now turns to freshmen at community colleges than first-time
examine the percentage of community college freshmen at public 4-year institutions or at pri-
students who persist in their studies or attain vate not-for-profit 4-year institutions had left
a degree or certificate. For this analysis, data school in 2006 without completing a degree or
from the Beginning Postsecondary Students certificate program (45 vs. 17 and 16 percent,
(BPS) Longitudinal Study are used to provide a respectively) (see figure 18).
broader picture of students’ short-term persis-
tence or attainment in community colleges. Yet, many community college students have no
intention of getting a degree or other credential;
Part B. Community College Students’ Short- thus, for such a comparison, it is important to
Term Persistence or Attainment Rate consider community college students’ academic
intentions. This special analysis compares the
The BPS Longitudinal Study is designed to col-
short-term persistence or attainment rate of
lect data related to persistence in and comple-
community college students who intended
tion of postsecondary education programs. It
to transfer to a 4-year college with those of
surveys a nationally representative sample of
community college students who intended to
students who are enrolled in a postsecondary
complete an associate’s degree, who intended to
institution for the first time, regardless of when
earn a certificate, and who had no intention to
they completed high school. All individuals
earn a degree or certificate. Such a comparison
in BPS were initially surveyed through the
reveals that community college students who
National Postsecondary Student Aid Study
intended to transfer to a 4-year college had a
(NPSAS) to find out how they and their families
higher persistence or attainment rate than those
pay for education beyond high school. These
who had no specific academic intentions (see
same students are then surveyed after 3 years
table SA-25). Still, however, the percentage of
through BPS to find out about their under-
students who had left school by 2006 without
graduate experiences, persistence in school,
completing a degree or certificate program was
and degree completion.34
higher among 2003–04 community college
The most recent national data from the 2003–04 freshmen who intended to transfer to a 4-year
Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal college than among all 2003–04 freshmen at
Study, First Follow-up (BPS:04/06) allow us to public 4-year colleges and universities and
describe the 3-year persistence or attainment rate all 2003–04 students at private not-for-profit
for community college students who enrolled for 4-year institutions (39 vs. 17 and 16 percent,
the first time as freshmen in a community college respectively) (see figure 18).
in 2003–04. This subpopulation of community
Comparing community college students’
college students differs from the subpopulation
persistence or attainment rate by their atten-
just considered (in part A) in that it includes
dance status reveals that students who always
community college students who did not enter
attended college full time had higher rates of
college immediately after high school. Besides
persistence or attainment than students who
immediate enrollees, it includes students who
always attended part time. Yet, the persistence
delayed enrollment in college for any period
or attainment rate for students who alternated
of time. Thus, in contrast to the subpopulation
between full- and part-time attendance was
examined in part A, this subpopulation includes
higher than either those for full-time or part-
students of a wider age range with more “non-
time students.
traditional” student characteristics.35

Community Colleges
Figure 18. Percentage distribution of first-time undergraduates in 2003–04, by persistence or attainment rate, control
and type of postsecondary institution, program plans, and attendance status: 2006
First-time college students at
Public 4-year college 83 17
Private not-for-profit 4-year college 84 16
Community college 55 45
Program plans Among first-time community college students
Intending to transfer to 4-year college 61 39
Intending to earn an associate's degree 50 50
Intending to earn a certificate 53 47
No degree intentions 42 58
Attendance status through 2006
Full-time always 59 41
Part-time always 30 70
Mixed full- and part-time 70 30
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
Still enrolled in 2006 No longer enrolled

and/or completed a in 2006 and no degree
degree or certificate or certificate earned
NOTE: Estimates in the table include students enrolled in institutions in Puerto Rico. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003/04 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, First Follow-up
(BPS:04/06).
SUMMARY 6.2 million students (or 35 percent of all

postsecondary students enrolled that year).
Drawing upon data from various NCES
surveys, this special analysis has provided a Community colleges rely to a larger
descriptive profile of community colleges in the extent than 4-year institutions on part-
United States, has examined the characteristics time faculty and staff. In addition,
of seniors who enrolled immediately after high compared with the faculty and staff at
school in community colleges in fall 2004 and 4-year institutions, the main activity of a
1992, and has looked at the rates of postsec- greater percentage of community college
ondary persistence and attainment by 2006 faculty and staff is teaching.
among students who began at a community
college in 2003–04. Average annual community college tuition
and fees are less than half those at public
The defining institutional characteristics of 4-year colleges and universities and one-
community colleges described in this special tenth those at private 4-year colleges and
analysis are as follows: universities.
In 2006–07, there were 1,045 community Some 95 percent of community colleges

colleges in the United States, enrolling have an open admissions policy.

Community Colleges
Community colleges enroll a diverse group higher: as high school seniors, 28 percent
of students, with various reasons for going had planned to use a community college as
to college, and have larger percentages of a stepping stone to a bachelor’s degree and
nontraditional, low-income, and minor- 39 percent revised their original plans to
ity students than 4-year colleges and uni- attend a 4-year college and earn a bachelor’s
versities. degree by starting their postsecondary edu-
cation at a community college.
The defining characteristics of high school
seniors who go to a community college immedi- One-third of 2004 seniors who enrolled
ately after high school include the following: immediately in a community college did
so with no intention of pursuing any edu-
Seniors from demographic groups with cation higher than an associate’s degree;
the lowest rates of immediate enrollment however, by 2006, almost 47 percent of them
in a postsecondary institution—students had raised their educational expectations
from the lowest quarter of SES families to start or complete a bachelor’s degree.
and Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska
Native students—had the highest rates The short-term persistence or attainment rate
of immediate enrollment in community of first-time community college students in
colleges in 1992 and 2004. 2003–04 was lower than that of first-time
undergraduates in 4-year institutions, even
Seniors who enrolled immediately in when looking separately at “more committed”
community colleges in 2004 spanned a community college students.
broad range of academic achievement—
including some students who were very Forty-five percent of students beginning
well-qualified for college in terms of their at a community college in 2003–04
performance on standardized tests and had left school without completing a
coursework completed. They included degree or certificate program by 2006.
a greater percentage of well-prepared Among the community college first-time
seniors than did the 1992 senior cohort freshmen who intended to transfer to a
and included many students with a high 4-year college, 39 percent had left school
school GPA of C+ or above but who by 2006 without completing a degree or
lacked mathematics coursework beyond certificate program.
algebra II, foreign language coursework
beyond year 2, or both. Sixteen percent of students beginning
at a community college in 2003–04 had
About two-thirds of 2004 seniors who completed a degree or certificate program
enrolled immediately in a community by 2006, while 40 percent had not com-
college seem to have done so with the in- pleted a degree or certificate program but
tention of pursuing a bachelor’s degree or were still enrolled.

Community Colleges
NOTES
1 Historians of education trace the roots of community colleges back to institutions created in the early 20th century as “junior colleges,”
the first of which was established in 1901 in Illinois. Since then, in response to labor markets and social change, the number, size, form,
and curriculum of 2-year colleges have changed many times as have the names applied to them (e.g.,“city college,”“technical institute,”
and “branch college”). For a while in the 1950s and 1960s,“community college” referred to public 2-year institutions, while “junior college”
referred to private ones. In recent years, however, “junior college” has fallen out of use, and the term “community college” has become
ambiguous, sometimes referring to just public 2-year institutions and sometimes referring to both public and private ones. Throughout
this special analysis, however,“community colleges” refers to public 2-year postsecondary institutions, regardless of the actual name of the
institution. Private for-profit and not-for-profit 2-year institutions, sometimes referred to as trade or technical institutes, are not included
as community colleges (Cohen and Brawer 2003, pp. 3–4; Brint and Karabel 1989, chapter 2; Phillippe 2004).
2 Articulation agreements define how course credits are transferred between postsecondary institutions.
3 The characteristics of “nontraditional” undergraduates include any or all of the following: delaying enrollment (i.e., not entering postsecond-
ary education in the same calendar year as finishing high school); attending part time for at least part of the academic year; working full
time while enrolled; being financially independent from one’s parents; having dependents; or being a single parent. For more information
on nontraditional students, see Choy (2002).
4 Most sampled data have sample sizes that are too small to generate reliable statistics for fine-grained analysis of students and faculty at
less-than-2-year, private 2-year (both not-for-profit and for-profit), and, sometimes, private for-profit 4-year postsecondary institutions.
Furthermore, due to the amount of data shown in this special analysis’ figures and supporting tables, it is not always possible for them to
include breakouts for all categories of postsecondary institutions without compromising their readability, clarity, and efficiency.
5 Although the number of community colleges has remained fairly steady over the past few years,more recent year-to-year changes are partially due to
how branch campuses and technical schools are counted and to the revision of survey procedures and definitions (Cohen and Brawer 2003, p. 14).
6Enrollment data for all years do not include students who were only enrolled in noncredit courses. All enrollment data discussed are
based on reports of fall enrollment, not enrollment counts over the course of the academic year.
7 State funding includes state grants and contracts for operations, state appropriations, state nonoperating grants, and capital appropriations.
8 Total expenditures include current outlays plus capital outlays to the extent that those capital costs are included as depreciation.
9 The number of FTE students at 4-year colleges and universities includes graduate students.
10 The total tuition and fees reported is the average retail price of community college; however, this cost is reduced for many students by
financial aid. The levels and types of student financial aid vary by student and institution characteristics (Berkner and Wei 2006).
11 In many community colleges, students need to pass college placement tests in particular subject areas to take academic courses in
those subject areas (College for Adults 2006).
12 See footnote 3.
13 While the terms “developmental” and “remedial” are typically used interchangeably, the estimates presented in this section are based on
student responses to questions about how much “remedial” coursework they had taken. It is possible that students would have responded
differently if they were asked about “developmental education” coursework.
14 Unlike this special analysis which looks at student’s coursework in the first year using Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) Longi-
tudinal Study data, Adelman (2006) examined the student’s entire postsecondary transcript using the National Education Longitudinal
Study (NELS:1988/1994). The NELS file looked specifically at the 1992 high school cohort, while the BPS data file includes all first-time
postsecondary enrollees, regardless of their high school graduation date.
It is also important to keep in mind that estimates of remedial coursetaking at different points in time may not be comparable and
that trends in remedial coursetaking over time may not be reliable because many colleges have relabeled courses from “remedial” to
“developmental education” and have converted remedial credit coursework to noncredit coursework or tutoring. For more information,
see Jenkins and Boswell (2002).
15 At public and private 4-year institutions in 2003–04, about 65 percent of undergraduates were dependent students (i.e., under 24 years
old and not independent financially from their parents), 19 percent were 24 years or older and financially independent from their parents, 10
percent were independent and married with children, and 6 percent were independent, single parents (Horn and Nevill 2006, table 2).

Community Colleges
16 Thelowest income level included all those in families at or below 125 percent of the 2002 poverty threshold. Established poverty
thresholds are based on family income and family size. For more information on the poverty thresholds, see U.S. Department of Education
(2008a), supplemental note 1 (at http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2008/supnotes/n01.asp).
17 Students were considered as having enrolled “immediately” after high school if they enrolled before the end of December of their senior
high school year. For more details on the definition of immediate enrollees and the assignment of their postsecondary enrollment status,
see the Technical Notes.
18 The2004 Follow-up augmented the original sample to ensure a nationally representative sample of high school seniors. For more
information on ELS:2002, see http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/els2002/.
19 The1992 Second Follow-up augmented the original sample to ensure a nationally representative sample of high school seniors. For
more information on NELS:88, see http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/nels88/.
20 One percent completed a GED by 2006, and 2 percent had earned no diploma or equivalent by 2006.
21 One percent completed a GED by 1994, and 2 percent had earned no diploma or equivalent by 1994.
22 The percentage of male and female students in the 2004 senior cohort and among immediate enrollees can be found along with
percentage distributions for all the variables used in this special analysis in table SA-14.Table SA-15 presents the comparable percentages
for 1992 seniors and immediate enrollees.
23 One difference in 1992 that was not detectable in 2004 was that, among immediate enrollees in 1992, American Indians/Alaska Natives
as well as Hispanics enrolled at greater percentages in community college than Asians/Pacific Islanders, Whites, or Blacks.
24 Each student’s family was assigned an SES value based on five equally weighted, standardized components: father’s/guardian’s education,
mother’s/guardian’s education, family income, father’s/guardian’s occupation, and mother’s/guardian’s occupation. An occupation prestige
value was determined by using the 1961 Duncan index. The information about these components came from the parent questionnaire,
or, when missing, from the student questionnaire or imputation. Students from families with the highest SES are those whose family SES
value was in the top 25 percent of all sampled students’ families. Students from families with the lowest SES are those whose family SES
value was in the bottom 25 percent of all sampled students’ families.
25 The pattern among 1992 seniors differed from that among 2004 seniors only in that apparent differences between the rate of immediate
enrollment in 4-year institutions and community colleges were not statistically significant for 1992 seniors who either had completed
general biology as their most advanced science coursework or had completed as their most advanced foreign language coursework year
1 of a foreign language.
26 For details on the comparability of NELS and ELS variables, see the Technical Notes.
27 No comparison with the responses of seniors from 1992 is possible because 1992 seniors were only asked if they intended to go on for
some postsecondary education, not what level of postsecondary institution they planned to attend.
28 Includes a small percentage of students who said they expected their highest educational attainment to be above a 2-year degree but
less than a bachelor’s degree.

29 Comparing these percentages with those for 1992 seniors’ expectations and their actual enrollment, no differences were detected except
for the percentage of seniors who expected their highest educational attainment would be to attend or complete 2-year college: a smaller
percentage of 1992 seniors than 2004 seniors who reported this expectation actually enrolled in a community college immediately after
high school (13 vs. 26 percent) (see tables SA-23 and SA-21).
30 One can only get a sense of these percentages because there is no way to determine what these immediate enrollees actually intended.
31 For the percentage distributions of 2004 seniors and immediate enrollees by educational expectations, see tables SA-21 and SA-22. For
the comparable percentages for 1992 and immediate enrollees, see tables SA-23 and SA-24.
32 This 79 percent includes both students whose highest educational attainment expectations had not changed as well as students who
had raised their expectations from a bachelor’s degree to a graduate degree.

33 This
group includes 8 percent of 2004 immediate community college enrollees who responded “don’t know” when asked as seniors
what they expected their highest educational attainment to be.
34 The BPS:04/06 First Follow-up in 2006 with 2003–04 first-time freshmen is the earliest logical timeframe to measure associate degree
attainment and transfer rates to 4-year institutions among full-time community college students. However, it is not a sufficient timeframe
to capture degree attainment for part-time students or to measure any bachelor degree attainment. For these reasons, this special analysis
focuses primarily on persistence rather than attainment.

Community Colleges
35 See footnote 3.
36 About one-fifth of students who began at a community college in 2003–04 and who were still enrolled in college in 2006 (10 percent
of all beginning community college students in 2003–04) had completed a degree or certificate program. About four-fifths of students
who began at a community college in 2003–04 and who were still enrolled in college in 2006 (40 percent of all beginning community
college students in 2003–04) had not completed a degree or certificate program.
37 While this statistic can serve as a measure of “event dropouts,” it is important to keep in mind that some community college students
may never have intended to get a degree and that some of these students may eventually return to college to complete a degree.

Community Colleges
REFERENCES
Adelman, C. (2006). The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion From High School Through
College. Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
Berkner, L., He, S., Mason, M., and Wheeless, S. (2007). Persistence and Attainment of 2003-04 Be-
ginning Postsecondary Students: After Three Years (NCES 2007-169). National Center for Education
Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
Berkner, L., and Wei, C.C. (2006). Student Financing of Undergraduate Education: 2003–04, With
a Special Analysis of the Net Price of Attendance and Federal Education Tax Benefits (NCES 2006-
186). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of
Education. Washington, DC.
Brint, S., and Karabel, J. (1989). The Diverted Dream: Community Colleges and the Promise of
Educational Opportunity in America, 1900–1985. New York: Oxford University Press.
Choy, S.P. (2002). Nontraditional Undergraduates: Findings from The Condition of Education 2002 (NCES
2002-012). National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
Cohen, A., and Brawer, F. (2003). The American Community College (4th ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass Publishers.
Coley, R. (2000). The American Community College Turns 100: A Look at Its Students, Programs,
and Prospects. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
College for Adults. (2006). Admissions - Placement Testing. Retrieved May 20, 2008, from http://
www.collegeforadults.org/admissions/room203.html.
Curtin, T.R., Ingels, S.J., Wu, S., and Heuer, R. (2002). The National Education Longitudinal Study
of 1988: Base-Year to Fourth Follow-up Data File User’s Manual (NCES 2002-323). National Center
for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
Evelyn, J. (2003, June 20). The “Silent Killer” of Minority Enrollments. The Chronicle of Higher
Education. Retrieved May 20, 2008, from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v49/i41/41a01701.htm.
Horn, L., and Nevill, S. (2006). Profile of Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions:
2003–04: With a Special Analysis of Community College Students (NCES 2006-184). National Center for
Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
Ingels, S., Pratt, D., Wilson, D., Burns, L., Currivan, D., Rogers, J., and Hubbard-Bednasz, S. (2007).
Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) Base-Year to Second Follow-up Public Use Data
File Documentation (NCES 2008-347). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Educa-
tion Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
Phillippe, K. (Ed.). (2004). National Profile of Community Colleges: Trends and Statistics. Washington,
DC: American Association of Community Colleges.
Planty, M., Provasnik, S., and Daniel, B. (2007). High School Coursetaking: Findings From The
Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007-065). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute
of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics.
(2008a). The Condition of Education 2008 (NCES 2008-031). Washington, DC.
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics.
(2008b). Digest of Education Statistics, 2007 (NCES 2008-022). Washington, DC.
Vaughan, G. (2006). The Community College Story (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Community College Press.

Community Colleges
Special Analysis Tables
Table SA-1. Number of degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: Academic years 1974–75 through 2006–07
2-year 4-year
Private Private
Not-for- Not-for-
Academic year All Total Public Total profit For-profit Total Public Total profit For-profit
1974–75 3,004 1,138 896 242 † † 1,866 537 1,329 † †
1975–76 3,026 1,128 897 231 † † 1,898 545 1,353 † †
1976–77 3,046 1,133 905 228 188 40 1,913 550 1,363 1,348 15
1977–78 3,095 1,157 921 236 † † 1,938 552 1,386 † †
1978–79 3,134 1,193 924 269 188 81 1,941 550 1,391 1,376 15
1979–80 3,152 1,195 926 269 † † 1,957 549 1,408 † †
1980–81 3,231 1,274 945 3291 182 147 1,957 552 1,405 1,387 18
1981–82 3,253 1,274 940 3341 † † 1,979 558 1,421 † †
1982–83 3,280 1,296 933 3631 † † 1,984 560 1,424 † †
1983–84 3,284 1,271 916 355 † † 2,013 565 1,448 † †
1984–85 3,331 1,306 935 371 186 185 2,025 566 1,459 1,430 29
1985–86 3,340 1,311 932 379 † † 2,029 566 1,463 † †
1986–87 3,406 1,336 960 376 173 203 2,070 573 1,497 1,462 35
1987–88 3,587 1,452 992 460 186 274 2,135 599 1,536 1,487 49
1988–89 3,565 1,436 984 452 180 272 2,129 598 1,531 1,478 53
1989–90 3,535 1,408 968 440 177 263 2,127 595 1,532 1,479 53
1990–91 3,559 1,418 972 446 167 279 2,141 595 1,546 1,482 64
1991–92 3,601 1,444 999 445 176 269 2,157 599 1,558 1,486 72
1992–93 3,638 1,469 1,024 445 179 266 2,169 600 1,569 1,493 76
1993–94 3,632 1,442 1,021 421 181 240 2,190 604 1,586 1,506 80
1994–95 3,688 1,473 1,036 437 192 245 2,215 605 1,610 1,510 100
1995–96 3,706 1,462 1,047 415 187 228 2,244 608 1,636 1,519 117
1996–97 4,009 1,742 1,088 654 184 470 2,267 614 1,653 1,509 144
1997–98 4,064 1,755 1,092 663 179 484 2,309 615 1,694 1,528 166
1998–99 4,048 1,713 1,069 644 164 480 2,335 612 1,723 1,531 192
1999–2000 4,084 1,721 1,068 653 150 503 2,363 614 1,749 1,531 218
2000–01 4,182 1,732 1,076 656 144 512 2,450 622 1,828 1,551 277
2001–02 4,197 1,710 1,085 625 135 490 2,487 628 1,859 1,541 318
2002–03 4,168 1,702 1,081 621 127 494 2,466 631 1,835 1,538 297
2003–04 4,236 1,706 1,086 620 118 502 2,530 634 1,896 1,546 350
2004–05 4,216 1,683 1,061 622 112 510 2,533 639 1,894 1,525 369
2005–06 4,276 1,694 1,053 641 113 528 2,582 640 1,942 1,534 408
2006–07 4,314 1,685 1,045 640 107 533 2,629 643 1,986 1,533 453
See notes at end of table.

Community Colleges
Table SA-1. Number of degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: Academic years 1974–75 through 2006–07—Continued
2-year 4-year
Private Private
Not-for- Not-for-
Academic year All Total Public Total profit For-profit Total Public Total profit For-profit
Percent change
from 1974–75 to
2006–07 44 48 17 164 † † 41 20 49 † †
Percent change
from 1976–77 to
2006–07 42 49 15 181 -43 1,233 37 17 46 14 2,920
† Not available.
1 Large increases are due to the addition of schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
NOTE: Data through 1995–96 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Institutions of higher education were institutions, accredited by an agency or association recognized
by the U.S. Department of Education or recognized directly by the Secretary of Education, that had courses leading to an associate’s degree or higher or that had courses accepted for credit toward those degrees. Degree-
granting institutions grant associate’s degrees or higher and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. The degree-granting classification is similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more
2-year colleges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees. Changes in counts of institutions over time are partly affected by increasing or decreasing numbers of institutions submitting
separate data for branch campuses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS),“Institutional Characteristics of Colleges and Universities” surveys, 1974–75 through
1985–86; and 1986–87 through 2006–07 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System,“Institutional Characteristics Survey” (IPEDS-IC:86–99), and Fall 2000 through Fall 2006.

Community Colleges
Table SA-2. Number of degree-granting institutions, by enrollment size, control and type of institution, and community type: Fall 2006
Control and type of Enrollment size

institution and community Under 200– 500– 1,000– 2,500– 5,000– 10,000– 20,000– 30,000
type All 200 499 999 2,499 4,999 9,999 19,999 29,999 or more
Total 4,301 499 603 645 909 651 495 317 126 56
2-year institutions
Public 1,043 13 39 69 237 266 241 130 37 11
4-year institutions
Public 643 3 11 23 97 110 149 135 76 39
Private not-for-profit 1,530 234 202 259 449 229 97 46 10 4
Private for-profit 452 66 131 116 80 40 8 6 3 2
Public 2-year institutions
City 304 1 2 10 23 71 93 70 26 8
Suburban 186 1 3 1 16 32 78 41 11 3
Town 250 6 16 33 98 68 26 3 0 0
Rural 303 5 18 25 100 95 44 16 0 0
City 307 2 8 7 28 29 64 84 54 31
Suburban 105 0 0 6 14 21 25 21 11 7
Town 170 0 1 4 29 47 49 30 10 0
Rural 61 1 2 6 26 13 11 0 1 1
institutions
City 782 123 123 117 194 124 56 33 8 4
Suburban 387 71 42 47 112 72 33 9 1 0
Town 234 17 17 61 110 21 6 2 0 0
Rural 127 23 20 34 33 12 2 2 1 0
NOTE: Total includes private 2-year and private for-profit 4-year institutions. Some institutions do not report separate enrollment data for each branch campus. For this reason, counts of institutions in this table are somewhat
lower than the figures appearing in some other tables. For details on the community types, see U. S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2008). The Condition of Education 2008 (NCES
2008-031), supplemental note 1.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2006–07 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Spring 2007, Enrollment component.

Community Colleges
Table SA-3. Percentage distribution of degree-granting institutions, by enrollment size, control and type of institution, and community type: Fall 2006
Control and type of Enrollment size

institution and community Under 200– 500– 1,000– 2,500– 5,000– 10,000– 20,000– 30,000
type All 200 499 999 2,499 4,999 9,999 19,999 29,999 or more
Total 100 12 14 15 21 15 12 7 3 1
2-year institutions
Public 100 1 4 7 23 26 23 12 4 1
4-year institutions
Public 100 # 2 4 15 17 23 21 12 6
Private not-for-profit 100 15 13 17 29 15 6 3 1 #
Private for-profit 100 15 29 26 18 9 2 1 1 #
City 100 # 1 3 8 23 31 23 9 3
Suburban 100 1 2 1 9 17 42 22 6 2
Town 100 2 6 13 39 27 10 1 0 0
Rural 100 2 6 8 33 31 15 5 0 0
City 100 1 3 2 9 9 21 27 18 10
Suburban 100 0 0 6 13 20 24 20 10 7
Town 100 0 1 2 17 28 29 18 6 0
Rural 100 2 3 10 43 21 18 0 2 2
institutions
City 100 16 16 15 25 16 7 4 1 1
Suburban 100 18 11 12 29 19 9 2 # 0
Town 100 7 7 26 47 9 3 1 0 0
Rural 100 18 16 27 26 9 2 2 1 0
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Totals include private 2-year and private for-profit 4-year institutions. For details on the community types, see U. S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2008). The Condition of Education
2008 (NCES 2008-031), supplemental note 1. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2006–07 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Spring 2007, Enrollment component.

Community Colleges
Table SA-4. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: 1963 through 2006
2-year 4-year
Year All Total Public Private Total Public Private
19631 4,779,609 850,361 739,811 110,550 3,929,248 2,341,468 1,587,780
19641 5,280,020 988,926 874,779 114,147 4,291,094 2,592,929 1,698,165
19651 5,920,864 1,172,952 1,041,264 131,688 4,747,912 2,928,332 1,819,580
19661 6,389,872 1,325,970 1,189,169 136,801 5,063,902 3,159,748 1,904,154
19671 6,911,748 1,512,762 1,372,053 140,709 5,398,986 3,443,975 1,955,011
19681 7,513,091 1,792,296 1,646,474 145,822 5,720,795 3,784,178 1,936,617
1969 8,004,660 2,067,533 1,934,346 133,187 5,937,127 3,962,522 1,974,605
1970 8,580,887 2,319,385 2,195,412 123,973 6,261,502 4,232,722 2,028,780
1971 8,948,644 2,579,289 2,457,319 121,970 6,369,355 4,346,990 2,022,365
1972 9,214,820 2,756,186 2,640,939 115,247 6,458,634 4,429,696 2,028,938
1973 9,602,123 3,012,100 2,889,621 122,479 6,590,023 4,529,895 2,060,128
1974 10,223,729 3,403,994 3,285,482 118,512 6,819,735 4,703,018 2,116,717
1975 11,184,859 3,970,119 3,836,366 133,753 7,214,740 4,998,142 2,216,598
1976 11,012,137 3,883,321 3,751,786 131,535 7,128,816 4,901,691 2,227,125
1977 11,285,787 4,042,942 3,901,769 141,173 7,242,845 4,945,224 2,297,621
1978 11,260,092 4,028,467 3,873,690 154,777 7,231,625 4,912,203 2,319,422
1979 11,569,899 4,216,666 4,056,810 159,856 7,353,233 4,980,012 2,373,221
1980 12,096,895 4,526,287 4,328,782 197,5052 7,570,608 5,128,612 2,441,996
1981 12,371,672 4,716,211 4,480,708 235,5032 7,655,461 5,166,324 2,489,137
1982 12,425,780 4,771,706 4,519,653 252,053 7,654,074 5,176,434 2,477,640
1983 12,464,661 4,723,466 4,459,330 264,136 7,741,195 5,223,404 2,517,791
1984 12,241,940 4,530,773 4,279,097 251,676 7,711,167 5,198,273 2,512,894
1985 12,247,055 4,531,077 4,269,733 261,344 7,715,978 5,209,540 2,506,438
1986 12,503,511 4,679,548 4,413,691 265,8573 7,823,963 5,300,202 2,523,761
1987 12,766,642 4,776,222 4,541,054 235,1683 7,990,420 5,432,200 2,558,220
1988 13,055,337 4,875,155 4,615,487 259,668 8,180,182 5,545,901 2,634,281
1989 13,538,560 5,150,889 4,883,660 267,229 8,387,671 5,694,303 2,693,368
1990 13,818,637 5,240,083 4,996,475 243,608 8,578,554 5,848,242 2,730,312
1991 14,358,953 5,651,900 5,404,815 247,085 8,707,053 5,904,748 2,802,305
1992 14,487,359 5,722,390 5,484,555 237,835 8,764,969 5,900,012 2,864,957
1993 14,304,803 5,565,867 5,337,328 228,539 8,738,936 5,851,760 2,887,176
1994 14,278,790 5,529,710 5,308,467 221,243 8,749,080 5,825,213 2,923,867
1995 14,261,781 5,492,529 5,277,829 214,700 8,769,252 5,814,545 2,954,707
1996 14,367,520 5,563,327 5,314,463 248,864 8,804,193 5,806,036 2,998,157
1997 14,502,334 5,605,569 5,360,686 244,883 8,896,765 5,835,433 3,061,332
1998 14,506,967 5,489,314 5,245,963 243,351 9,017,653 5,891,806 3,125,847
19994 14,791,224 5,592,699 5,339,449 253,250 9,198,525 5,969,950 3,228,575
2000 15,312,289 5,948,431 5,697,388 251,043 9,363,858 6,055,398 3,308,460

Community Colleges
Table SA-4. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: 1963 through 2006—Continued
2-year 4-year
Year All Total Public Private Total Public Private
2001 15,927,987 6,250,579 5,996,701 253,878 9,677,408 6,236,455 3,440,953
2002 16,611,711 6,529,379 6,270,380 258,999 10,082,332 6,481,613 3,600,719
2003 16,911,481 6,494,234 6,209,257 284,977 10,417,247 6,649,441 3,767,806
2004 17,272,044 6,545,863 6,243,576 302,287 10,726,181 6,736,536 3,989,645
2005 17,487,475 6,488,055 6,184,229 303,826 10,999,420 6,837,605 4,161,815
2006 17,758,870 6,518,540 6,225,120 293,420 11,240,330 6,955,013 4,285,317
Percent change from
1963 to 2006 272 667 741 165 186 197 170
2000 to 2006 16 10 9 17 20 15 30
1 Data for 2-year branch campuses of 4-year institutions are included with the 4-year institutions.
2 Large increases are due to the addition of schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
3 Because of imputation techniques, data are not consistent with figures for other years.
4 Data were imputed using alternative procedures.
NOTE: Data through 1995 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Institutions of higher education were institutions, accredited by an agency or association recognized by
the U.S. Department of Education or recognized directly by the Secretary of Education, that had courses leading to an associate’s degree or higher or that had courses accepted for credit toward those degrees. Degree-granting
institutions grant associate’s degrees or higher and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs.The degree-granting classification is similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more 2-year col-
leges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees. Data for private institutions combine both not-for-profit and for-profit institutions; data for these two categories were not collected separately
until 1976. Enrollment data for all years do not include students who were only enrolled in noncredit courses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Opening Fall Enrollment in Higher Education, 1963 through 1966; Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS),“Fall Enrollment in Institu-
tions of Higher Education” surveys, 1966 through 1985; and 1986 through 2005 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System,“Fall Enrollment Survey” (IPEDS-EF:86–99), and Spring 2001 through Spring 2007.

Community Colleges
Table SA-5. Number of degree-granting community colleges, size of their total enrollment, and ratio of enrollment to adult population, by state or
jurisdiction: 2005–06
Institutions Total enrollment Adult population Ratio of enrollment

State or jurisdiction Number Percent Number Percent (18 years and older) to adult population
United States 1,053 100.0 6,184,229 100.0 225,662,922 2.7
Alabama 25 2.4 78,401 1.3 3,484,729 2.2
Alaska 2 0.2 1,101 0.0 488,619 0.2
Arizona 20 1.9 200,845 3.2 4,538,120 4.4
Arkansas 22 2.1 47,771 0.8 2,119,686 2.3
California 111 10.5 1,398,758 22.6 26,924,935 5.2
Colorado 15 1.4 79,803 1.3 3,584,076 2.2
Connecticut 12 1.1 46,227 0.7 2,686,523 1.7
Delaware 3 0.3 13,978 0.2 650,110 2.2
District of Columbia 0 0.0 0 0.0 466,649 0.0
Florida 24 2.3 277,446 4.5 14,068,333 2.0
Georgia 53 5.0 144,594 2.3 6,908,921 2.1
Hawaii 6 0.6 22,330 0.4 987,417 2.3
Idaho 3 0.3 12,014 0.2 1,072,185 1.1
Illinois 48 4.6 352,824 5.7 9,616,726 3.7
Indiana 14 1.3 59,969 1.0 4,735,891 1.3
Iowa 16 1.5 82,118 1.3 2,271,891 3.6
Kansas 26 2.5 74,262 1.2 2,068,238 3.6
Kentucky 23 2.2 84,669 1.4 3,206,543 2.6
Louisiana 41 3.9 33,514 0.5 3,197,767 1.0
Maine 7 0.7 12,435 0.2 1,040,580 1.2
Maryland 16 1.5 119,246 1.9 4,255,196 2.8
Massachusetts 16 1.5 84,209 1.4 4,988,309 1.7
Michigan 30 2.8 215,585 3.5 7,617,287 2.8
Minnesota 30 2.8 110,324 1.8 3,909,837 2.8
Mississippi 17 1.6 66,298 1.1 2,151,135 3.1
Missouri 20 1.9 86,742 1.4 4,426,121 2.0
Montana 12 1.1 9,134 0.1 726,784 1.3
Nebraska 8 0.8 40,220 0.7 1,323,298 3.0
Nevada 2 0.2 16,371 0.3 1,861,009 0.9
New Hampshire 4 0.4 13,750 0.2 1,017,270 1.4
New Jersey 19 1.8 151,885 2.5 6,635,222 2.3
New Mexico 20 1.9 64,137 1.0 1,445,669 4.4
New York 35 3.3 271,308 4.4 14,791,841 1.8
North Carolina 59 5.6 200,507 3.2 6,701,118 3.0
North Dakota 7 0.7 9,205 0.1 490,933 1.9
Ohio 32 3.0 173,962 2.8 8,707,971 2.0
Oklahoma 13 1.2 65,617 1.1 2,685,178 2.4
Oregon 17 1.6 80,513 1.3 2,844,499 2.8
Pennsylvania 21 2.0 124,077 2.0 9,635,748 1.3
Rhode Island 1 0.1 16,042 0.3 830,159 1.9
South Carolina 20 1.9 78,883 1.3 3,281,596 2.4
South Dakota 5 0.5 5,485 0.1 587,238 0.9
Tennessee 13 1.2 74,829 1.2 4,596,210 1.6
Texas 64 6.1 543,491 8.8 17,013,818 3.2

Community Colleges
Table SA-5. Number of degree-granting community colleges, size of their total enrollment, and ratio of enrollment to adult population, by state or
jurisdiction: 2005–06—Continued
Institutions Total enrollment Adult population Ratio of enrollment

State or jurisdiction Number Percent Number Percent (18 years and older) to adult population
Utah 6 0.6 35,796 0.6 1,758,865 2.0
Vermont 1 0.1 5,515 0.1 490,519 1.1
Virginia 24 2.3 154,967 2.5 5,836,037 2.7
Washington 35 3.3 190,423 3.1 4,869,531 3.9
West Virginia 10 0.9 17,807 0.3 1,429,399 1.2
Wisconsin 18 1.7 115,357 1.9 4,243,976 2.7
Wyoming 7 0.7 19,485 0.3 393,210 5.0
NOTE: Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s degrees or higher and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs.Total count of institutions includes 13 institutions which were unable to respond to the Fall 2005
survey due to natural disaster and 8 institutions in other U.S. jurisdictions. Total enrollment includes 10,215 students in the 8 institutions in other U.S. jurisdictions.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2005–06 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall 2005; U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), 2005–06.

Community Colleges
Table SA-6. Average annual undergraduate tuition and fees for full-time students in degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution:
Academic years 1976–77 through 2006–07
Current dollars Constant 2006–07 dollars

Public institutions Private institutions Public institutions Private institutions
Academic year All 2-year 4-year All 2-year 4-year All 2-year 4-year All 2-year 4-year
1976–77 $479 $283 $617 $2,467 $1,592 $2,534 $1,665 $986 $2,145 $8,580 $5,537 $8,814
1977–78 512 306 655 2,624 1,706 2,700 1,667 999 2,134 8,551 5,559 8,801
1978–79 543 327 688 2,867 1,831 2,958 1,617 975 2,049 8,545 5,456 8,815
1979–80 583 355 738 3,130 2,062 3,225 1,534 933 1,939 8,231 5,421 8,480
1980–81 635 391 804 3,498 2,413 3,617 1,496 922 1,894 8,243 5,686 8,523
1981–82 714 434 909 3,953 2,605 4,113 1,548 943 1,973 8,574 5,650 8,923
1982–83 798 473 1,031 4,439 3,008 4,639 1,660 984 2,145 9,232 6,256 9,648
1983–84 891 528 1,148 4,851 3,099 5,093 1,788 1,059 2,302 9,728 6,215 10,215
1984–85 971 584 1,228 5,315 3,485 5,556 1,874 1,127 2,370 10,257 6,726 10,723
1985–86 1,045 641 1,318 5,789 3,672 6,121 1,960 1,203 2,472 10,860 6,889 11,482
1986–87 1,106 660 1,414 6,316 3,684 6,658 2,030 1,212 2,594 11,591 6,760 12,220
1987–88 1,218 706 1,537 6,988 4,161 7,116 2,147 1,244 2,709 12,315 7,332 12,540
1988–89 1,285 730 1,646 7,461 4,817 7,722 2,164 1,230 2,773 12,568 8,115 13,006
1989–90 1,356 756 1,780 8,147 5,196 8,396 2,180 1,216 2,861 13,098 8,354 13,499
1990–91 1,454 824 1,888 8,772 5,570 9,083 2,216 1,256 2,878 13,372 8,491 13,845
1991–92 1,628 936 2,117 9,419 5,754 9,759 2,405 1,383 3,127 13,913 8,499 14,415
1992–93 1,782 1,025 2,349 9,942 6,059 10,294 2,552 1,468 3,365 14,239 8,678 14,743
1993–94 1,942 1,125 2,537 10,572 6,370 10,952 2,711 1,570 3,541 14,759 8,893 15,291
1994–95 2,057 1,192 2,681 11,111 6,914 11,481 2,792 1,618 3,638 15,080 9,384 15,582
1995–96 2,179 1,239 2,848 11,864 7,094 12,243 2,879 1,638 3,762 15,676 9,374 16,177
1996–97 2,271 1,276 2,987 12,498 7,236 12,881 2,918 1,639 3,837 16,055 9,296 16,548
1997–98 2,360 1,314 3,110 12,801 7,464 13,344 2,979 1,658 3,925 16,156 9,421 16,842
1998–99 2,430 1,327 3,229 13,428 7,854 13,973 3,015 1,646 4,006 16,660 9,743 17,335
1999–2000 2,506 1,338 3,349 14,081 8,235 14,588 3,021 1,613 4,039 16,979 9,930 17,591
2000–01 2,562 1,333 3,501 15,000 9,067 15,470 2,987 1,554 4,081 17,489 10,571 18,037
2001–02 2,700 1,380 3,735 15,742 10,076 16,211 3,093 1,581 4,279 18,034 11,543 18,571
2002–03 2,903 1,483 4,046 16,383 10,651 16,826 3,254 1,662 4,536 18,364 11,939 18,861
2003–04 3,319 1,702 4,587 17,315 11,545 17,763 3,641 1,867 5,031 18,994 12,665 19,486
2004–05 3,629 1,849 5,027 18,154 12,122 18,604 3,865 1,969 5,353 19,333 12,909 19,812
2005–06 3,874 1,935 5,351 18,862 12,450 19,292 3,974 1,985 5,489 19,350 12,772 19,791
2006–07 4,101 2,017 5,685 19,991 12,620 20,492 4,101 2,017 5,685 19,991 12,620 20,492
NOTE: Data are for the entire academic year and are average total charges for full-time attendance.Tuition and fees were weighted by the number of full-time-equivalent undergraduates, but were not adjusted to reflect student
residency. Data through 1995–96 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Institutions of higher education were institutions, accredited by an agency or association recognized
by the U.S. Department of Education or recognized directly by the Secretary of Education, that had courses leading to an associate’s degree or higher or that had courses accepted for credit toward those degrees. Degree-granting
institutions grant associate’s degrees or higher and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs.The degree-granting classification is very similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more 2-year
colleges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees. Because of their low response rate, data for private 2-year colleges must be interpreted with caution. Some data have been revised from
previously published figures. Data for private institutions combine both not-for-profit and for-profit institutions. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS),“Institutional Characteristics of Colleges and Universities” surveys, 1976–77 through 1985–86;
“Fall Enrollment in Institutions of Higher Education” surveys, 1976 through 1985; and 1986–87 through 2005–06 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, “Fall Enrollment Survey” (IPEDS-EF:86–99), “Institutional
Characteristics Survey” (IPEDS-C:86–99), Spring 2001 through Spring 2006, and Fall 2000 through Fall 2006.

Community Colleges
Table SA-7. Number and percentage distribution of faculty and instructional staff in degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution and
selected faculty characteristics: Fall 2003
2-year institution 4-year institution

Faculty characteristic Total Public Private Public Private
Total 1,212,00 362,000 8,600 494,000 347,000
Sex
Male 57.5 50.7 52.4 60.7 60.1
Female 42.5 49.3 47.6 39.3 39.9
Race/ethnicity
White 82.5 82.7 95.2 80.6 84.6
Black 5.5 6.8 2.0 5.1 4.8
Hispanic 3.5 4.9 0.4 3.2 2.6
Asian 6.3 2.9 1.0 9.0 6.1
Pacific Islander 0.1 0.2 # 0.1 0.1
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.4 0.6 # 0.4 0.2
More than one race 1.7 1.8 1.4 1.7 1.6
Employment status
Full-time 56.3 33.3 58.3 71.7 58.2
Part-time 43.7 66.7 41.7 28.3 41.8
Highest level of educational attainment
Less than bachelor’s 4.2 11.9 6.7 0.9 0.9
Bachelor’s 9.3 18.5 18.2 5.2 5.5
Master’s 37.4 55.1 52.3 26.3 34.3
First-professional 7.8 2.9 2.6 9.2 11.0
Doctorate 41.3 11.6 20.3 58.4 48.4
Main activity
Teaching 73.8 89.3 79.7 63.4 72.1
Research 8.8 0.1 # 15.3 9.0
Administration 6.7 3.1 11.9 8.5 7.6
Other 10.8 7.5 8.3 12.8 11.4
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Totals may differ from figures reported in other tables because of varying survey methodologies. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
Table SA-8. Percentage of beginning postsecondary students who reported taking various types of remedial courses in their first year, by control and type
of institution: 2003–04

Private Private
Not-for- Not-for-
Remedial course All Public profit For-profit Public profit For-profit
Any 20.5 28.6 17.6 8.3 18.6 15.2 10.6
English 6.1 8.4 8.4 2.2 5.2 4.5 4.9
Mathematics 15.5 22.3 13.1 5.1 13.9 9.8 7.9
Reading 6.4 10.0 5.2 1.7 4.7 3.8 3.0
Study skills 2.3 2.8 3.6 1.7 1.9 2.1 3.1
Writing 7.9 9.6 5.6 4.8 8.1 7.3 4.9
NOTE: Totals include students in private not-for-profit less-than-2-year institutions; sample size was too small to show as a separate category. Courses are self-reported by students during their first year. Institutions and
administrative transcript records report higher rates of remedial coursetaking than do students. This table includes students enrolled at postsecondary institutions in Puerto Rico.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003/04 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, First Follow-up (BPS:04/06).

Community Colleges
Table SA-9. Percentage distribution of undergraduates, by control and type of institution and student characteristics: 2003–04
Community 4-year institution

Characteristic college Public Private not-for-profit
Sex
Male 40.9 45.5 44.2
Female 59.1 54.5 55.9
Race/ethnicity
White 59.9 70.2 67.3
Black 15.3 10.4 13.0
Hispanic 14.4 8.9 12.0
Asian 5.3 5.9 4.2
American Indian/Alaska Native 1.0 1.0 0.4
Pacific Islander 0.7 0.4 0.2
More than one race 2.1 2.0 1.8
Other 1.3 1.2 1.1
Age
18 or younger 9.3 10.7 11.4
19–23 37.7 60.3 55.5
24–29 18.2 15.6 12.2
30–39 17.5 7.6 11.0
40 or older 17.3 5.8 9.9
Median 24.0 21.0 21.0
Average 28.5 23.7 25.0
Marital status
Not married1 70.4 85.1 81.8
Married 27.3 13.9 16.6
Separated 2.3 1.0 1.6
Single parent 17.2 6.3 9.0
Parents’ highest level of education
High school or less 40.8 26.7 27.6
Some postsecondary education 27.1 22.9 20.2
Bachelor’s degree or higher 32.1 50.4 52.2
Dependency and income2
Dependent students 38.8 65.7 62.3
Less than $20,000 6.0 7.1 6.8
$20,000–39,999 8.4 11.4 10.7
$40,000–59,999 7.7 11.8 9.9
$60,000–79,999 6.5 11.9 9.6
$80,000–99,999 3.8 8.7 8.5
$100,000 or more 6.3 14.8 16.8
Independent students 61.2 34.3 37.7
Less than $10,000 12.6 9.0 7.9
$10,000–19,999 10.6 6.6 6.0
$20,000–29,999 9.5 5.5 5.9
$30,000–49,999 12.3 6.0 7.3
$50,000 or more 16.3 7.3 10.7
1 Includes single, divorced, and widowed students.
2 Based on 2002 income.
NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

Community Colleges
Table SA-10. Percentage distribution of the spring 2004 12th-grade cohort, by immediate and delayed postsecondary enrollment status, control and type
of institution, and selected background characteristics: 2004 and 2006
No post-
secondary Immediate enrollment in a postsecondary institution Delayed enrollment
education Less-than- In 2-year In 4-year
through 2-year 2-year institution 4-year institution institution institution
Background characteristic 2006 Total institution All1 Public All Public Private Total in 2006 in 2006
Total 23.0 63.1 0.9 19.9 18.8 42.3 28.4 13.9 13.7 8.0 4.3
Sex
Male 27.3 59.1 0.7 19.5 18.2 38.9 26.5 12.4 13.5 7.9 4.5
Female 18.9 67.1 1.0 20.3 19.5 45.7 30.3 15.4 13.9 8.2 4.0
Race/ethnicity
White 19.5 68.9 0.7 20.2 19.1 48.0 31.8 16.2 11.6 6.5 4.1
Black 28.8 52.7 1.3 16.6 15.9 34.8 25.0 9.7 18.4 11.3 5.0
Hispanic 33.0 46.9 1.2 23.2 21.6 22.4 15.3 7.1 19.6 12.3 4.4
Asian/Pacific Islander 13.4 75.2 0.4! 19.5 18.6 55.3 39.5 15.9 11.0 6.4 4.1
American Indian/Alaska
Native 37.9 46.0 ‡ 18.9 17.0 25.5 18.4! 7.1! 16.1 10.7! 4.6!
More than one race 28.2 61.0 1.3! 15.6 14.6 44.1 27.3 16.8 10.6 5.9 3.8
Socioeconomic status (SES)
Lowest 25 percent 40.0 42.3 1.6 19.7 18.6 20.9 14.9 6.1 17.4 11.5 3.7
Middle 50 percent 23.6 62.4 0.8 23.0 21.6 38.5 27.1 11.4 13.9 8.5 3.9
Highest 25 percent 7.5 82.0 0.3! 14.5 14.1 67.2 42.2 25.0 10.4 4.5 5.5
Parent’s highest level of
education
Did not finish high school 43.1 39.6 0.9! 21.4 19.3 17.2 12.9 4.3 16.7 11.8 2.5
High school completer or GED 36.6 47.4 1.7 20.6 19.0 25.2 19.1 6.1 15.9 10.5 3.6
Some college 25.5 59.4 0.9 23.5 22.4 35.0 24.2 10.8 14.9 9.0 4.3
Graduated from college 13.5 74.6 0.3! 19.1 17.9 55.1 37.9 17.2 11.8 6.1 4.4
Completed master’s or
equivalent 9.7 79.6 0.5! 14.3 14.0 64.7 39.2 25.5 10.7 5.0 5.5
Completed Ph.D., M.D., or
other advanced degree 8.1 82.1 0.3! 10.5 10.4 71.3 40.2 31.1 9.7 4.1 5.2
Student’s family’s income from
all sources in 2001
$20,000 or less 39.5 42.0 1.4 18.9 18.2 21.7 14.6 7.1 18.0 11.8 3.8
$20,001–35,000 31.7 51.9 0.8 22.1 20.9 29.1 20.3 8.8 16.1 9.8 4.3
$35,001–50,000 26.6 60.1 1.4 22.7 20.9 36.1 25.0 11.1 13.2 8.0 3.7
$50,001–75,000 19.9 67.0 0.8 21.6 20.6 44.8 31.3 13.5 12.8 7.9 4.1
$75,001–100,000 12.9 76.0 0.5! 18.8 17.6 56.7 37.2 19.4 11.1 5.8 4.4
More than $100,000 6.9 81.7 0.1 13.1 12.5 68.6 43.0 25.7 11.0 4.8 5.8
1 Total includes private 2-year institutions that are not shown separately.
NOTE: Data include a few cases of students who enrolled immediately in a postsecondary institution for which the control of the institution was unknown.These cases are included in the “Total” column for immediate enrollment
and the “All” columns for type of institution, but they are not included in the distributions showing control of institution. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding
or because some subcategories are not shown.

Community Colleges
Table SA-11. Percentage distribution of the spring 2004 12th-grade cohort who enrolled immediately after high school in a postsecondary institution, by
control and type of institution and selected background characteristics: 2004
In 2-year institution1 In 4-year institution

Private Private not- Private
Background characteristic Public for-profit Public for-profit for-profit
Total 29.8 1.4 45.0 20.5 1.5
Sex
Male 30.7 1.9 44.8 19.0 1.9
Female 29.0 1.0 45.2 21.8 1.2
Race/ethnicity
White 27.8 1.2 46.1 22.5 1.1
Black 30.1 1.2! 47.3 16.0 2.4
Hispanic 46.1 3.4! 32.6 12.9 2.3!
Asian/Pacific Islander 24.8 1.0! 52.5 19.5 1.6
American Indian/Alaska Native 36.9 ‡ 39.9 15.5! #
More than one race 24.0 ‡ 44.8 22.9 4.6
Lowest 25 percent 43.9 2.5 35.2 11.7 2.6
Middle 50 percent 34.5 2.0 43.4 16.9 1.5
Highest 25 percent 17.2 0.2! 51.4 29.4 1.1
Parent’s highest level of education
Did not finish high school 48.7 5.3! 32.7 7.1 3.7!
High school completer or GED 40.1 2.8 40.3 11.4 1.5
Some college 37.7 1.6 40.7 16.5 1.7
Graduated from college 24.0 1.0! 50.8 21.3 1.7
Completed master’s or equivalent 17.6 0.2! 49.3 31.2 0.9!
Completed Ph.D., M.D., or other advanced degree 12.7 ‡ 48.9 37.4 0.5!
Student’s family’s income from all sources in 2001
$20,000 or less 43.2 1.1! 34.7 15.1 1.8!
$20,001–35,000 40.2 2.1 39.1 14.9 2.1
$35,001–50,000 34.7 2.6 41.5 17.0 1.4
$50,001–75,000 30.7 1.2 46.5 18.9 1.1
$75,001–100,000 23.2 1.1! 49.0 24.0 1.6
More than $100,000 15.2 0.4 52.5 29.9 1.5
# Rounds to zero.
1 Private not-for-profit 2-year institutions are not shown separately.
NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
of institution, and selected background characteristics: 1992 and 1994
No post-
education In 2-year In 4-year
through 2-year institution 4-year institution institution institution
Background characteristic 19941 Total2,3 All3 Public All Public Private Total in 1994 in 1994
Total 27.9 51.4 17.0 15.7 33.6 21.9 11.7 20.7 10.6 8.3
Sex
Male 31.4 48.3 16.8 15.7 31.0 20.7 10.2 20.3 10.5 8.4
Female 24.4 54.6 17.2 15.8 36.3 23.1 13.2 21.0 10.7 8.3
Race/ethnicity
White 26.1 53.0 16.6 15.4 35.6 23.0 12.5 20.8 10.5 8.8
Black 35.2 43.3 13.6 12.1 29.2 19.5 9.7 21.6 9.7 9.0
Hispanic 35.2 44.2 21.3 19.9 21.7 15.4 6.3 20.5 12.5 5.7
Asian/Pacific Islander 15.3 66.3 21.4 20.7 43.3 25.7 17.6 18.3 10.6 6.5
Native 45.5 40.7 22.5 22.5 17.0 12.4 4.5! 13.8 9.7 2.0
Lowest 25 percent 51.5 31.0 14.8 13.4 14.7 10.7 4.0 17.6 11.4 4.0
Middle 50 percent 29.5 48.4 19.4 18.1 28.3 20.0 8.4 22.0 12.1 7.9
Highest 25 percent 8.2 71.4 14.5 13.3 56.3 33.1 23.1 20.4 7.4 12.1
education
Did not finish high school 48.6 32.5 14.4 11.9 15.8 11.8 4.0 19.0 11.9 4.4
High school completer
or GED 44.3 36.8 17.7 16.6 18.4 12.5 5.8 18.9 11.7 5.0
Some college 28.4 49.4 19.2 18.1 29.5 20.8 8.7 22.2 11.8 8.4
Graduated from college 11.6 66.5 15.4 14.6 50.7 33.5 17.2 21.9 8.7 11.5
equivalent 6.6 75.6 11.6 10.3 63.8 33.9 29.9 17.8 6.7 10.7
other advanced degree 5.5 76.8 12.8 10.0 62.0 32.1! 30.0 17.7 4.1 13.0
Student’s family’s income
from all sources in 1991
Less than $20,000 43.3 37.9 15.4 14.2 21.4 14.9 6.5 18.8 10.4 5.8
$20,000–34,999 33.4 47.3 19.0 17.2 27.3 19.5 7.8 19.3 10.6 6.6
$35,000–49,999 25.8 51.9 18.3 17.3 33.1 22.3 10.8 22.3 12.2 8.4
$50,000–74,999 14.8 63.7 19.6 18.4 43.4 28.5 14.9 21.4 10.3 9.4
$75,000–99,999 10.0 69.4 15.3 13.1 54.1 33.8 20.2 20.6 7.3 12.4
$100,000 or more 6.4 72.4 6.2 5.9 66.2 32.9 33.3 21.2 5.7 14.9
1 Includes some cases of students who were enrolled in postsecondary courses before high school graduation but who did not enroll in any postsecondary institution after high school.
2 Total includes 12th-graders (0.8 percent) who enrolled immediately in a less-than-2-year postsecondary institution. The sample size for these students is too small to show breakouts.
NOTE: Data include some cases of students who enrolled immediately in a postsecondary institution for which the control of the institution was unknown. These cases are included in the “Total” column for immediate enroll-
ment and the “All” columns for type of institution, but they are not included in the distributions showing control of institution. Spring 1992 12th-graders who attended postsecondary institutions for which there is no IPEDS
information are excluded. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding or because some subcategories are not shown.

Community Colleges
control and type of institution and selected background characteristics: 1992
In 2-year institution1 In 4-year institution2

Private Private not-
Background characteristic Public for-profit Public for-profit
Total 30.6 1.4 42.6 22.3
Sex
Male 32.4 1.4 42.9 20.5
Female 28.9 1.5 42.3 24.0
Race/ethnicity
White 29.0 1.4 43.5 23.3
Black 28.1 2.5! 45.1 21.2
Hispanic 45.1 1.5! 34.9 13.6
Asian/Pacific Islander 31.3 ‡ 38.8 26.5
American Indian/Alaska Native 55.1 # 30.6 11.1!
Lowest 25 percent 43.4 3.1 34.6 12.0
Middle 50 percent 37.4 2.0 41.2 16.8
Highest 25 percent 18.6 0.3 46.4 32.2
Did not finish high school 36.5 6.0! 36.3 10.2
High school completer or GED 45.0 2.5 34.0 15.4
Some college 36.6 1.6 42.1 17.1
Graduated from college 21.9 0.5! 50.3 25.8
Completed master’s or equivalent 13.6 0.4 44.8 39.5
Completed Ph.D., M.D., or other advanced degree 13.0! # 41.8 39.1
Less than $20,000 37.4 2.5 39.3 16.2
$20,000–34,999 36.4 2.2 41.3 16.0
$35,000–49,999 33.3 1.1! 42.9 20.2
$50,000–74,999 28.9 1.3! 44.8 23.2
$75,000–99,999 18.9 0.6 48.8 29.2
$100,000 or more 8.1 # 45.4 46.0
# Rounds to zero.
1 Private not-for-profit 2-year institutions are not shown separately because the sample size is too small to show breakouts.
2 Private for-profit 4-year institutions are not shown separately because the sample size is too small to show breakouts.
NOTE: Spring 1992 12th-graders who attended postsecondary institutions for which there is no IPEDS information are excluded. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of
rounding.

Community Colleges
Table SA-14. Percentage distribution of the spring 2004 12th-grade cohort, by immediate postsecondary enrollment status and selected characteristics:
2004
Entire Immediate enrollees in a

Characteristic 12th-grade cohort postsecondary institution
Total 100.0 100.0
Sex
Male 49.1 45.9
Female 50.9 54.1
Race/ethnicity
White 62.0 67.6
Black 13.3 11.1
Hispanic 15.1 11.2
Asian/Pacific Islander 4.5 5.4
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.9 0.7
More than one race 4.2 4.1
Lowest 25 percent 22.0 14.7
Middle 50 percent 50.5 49.9
Highest 25 percent 27.2 35.3
Did not finish high school 5.3 3.3
High school completer or GED 20.1 15.1
Some college 34.1 32.1
Graduated from college 22.9 27.1
Completed master’s or equivalent 11.7 14.7
Completed Ph.D., M.D., or other advanced degree 5.9 7.7
$20,000 or less 13.0 8.7
$20,001–35,000 17.9 14.8
$35,001–50,000 19.1 18.2
$50,001–75,000 21.8 23.2
$75,001–100,000 14.0 16.9
More than $100,000 14.1 18.3
Nonrespondent and missing 6.6 5.6
1.50 or below 3.5 0.9
1.51–2.00 9.8 4.5
2.01–2.50 18.0 13.1
2.51–3.00 21.8 22.6
3.01–3.50 22.0 27.6
3.51–4.00 18.2 25.7

Community Colleges
2004—Continued

Lower middle quarter 24.7 22.1
Upper middle quarter 25.1 29.1
Top 25 percent 26.0 35.1
Highest level of mathematics completed in high school
Nonrespondent 6.6 5.6
Low academic, nonacademic, or no mathematics coursework 6.0 1.9
Algebra I/geometry 18.9 10.6
Algebra II 22.9 22.2
Trigonometry/algebra III 16.4 19.3
Precalculus 16.6 22.2
Calculus 12.6 18.3
Highest level of science completed in high school
Low academic or no science 7.2 2.8
General biology 23.9 16.5
Chemistry I or physics I 30.4 33.2
Chemistry I and physics I 15.5 20.3
Chemistry II or physics II or advanced biology 16.4 21.6
Highest level of foreign language study completed in high school
No credit 19.5 10.3
Year 1 14.2 10.7
Year 2 30.0 33.4
Year 3 15.7 20.6
Year 4 8.2 11.5
Advanced placement (AP) 5.8 7.9
Post-high school educational plans
Plan to get postsecondary education 92.4 98.1
Vocational, technical, or trade school 8.0 3.6
2-year community college 22.3 17.0
4-year college or university 62.2 77.5
Don’t plan to continue 1.3 0.1!
Don’t know or unspecified plans 5.7 1.7
Early high school graduation, already attending postsecondary school 0.3 #!
Missing 0.2 0.1!

Community Colleges
2004—Continued

Highest educational attainment expected when in 12th-grade (2004)
Don’t know 8.0 4.2
High school diploma or less 4.5 0.6
Attend or complete 2-year college 15.1 8.9
Obtain graduate degree 35.5 46.0
Highest educational attainment expected 2 years later (2006)
High school diploma or less 5.5 ‡
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Academic levels are labeled according to the most commonly known course at that level; courses with different names or on topics of different but similar academic
difficulty may be included under these rubrics. For details on coursework classification, see the Technical Notes and Methodology in Planty, M., Provasnik, S., and Daniel, B. (2007). High School Coursetaking: Findings From the
Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007-065). Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
1992

Total 100.0 100.0
Sex
Male 50.2 47.1
Female 49.8 52.9
Race/ethnicity
White 72.5 74.8
Black 11.9 10.0
Hispanic 9.9 8.5
Missing 0.3! 0.3!
Missing 9.7 8.2
Less than $20,000 17.7 13.0
$20,000–34,999 18.5 17.0
$35,000–49,999 17.2 17.4
$50,000–74,999 17.7 22.0
$75,000–99,999 5.9 7.9
$100,000 or more 5.7 8.0
Missing 17.3 14.6
Incomplete test 0.3! 0.2!
Missing 22.4 19.0
Calculus 8.8 14.1

Community Colleges
1992—Continued

No credit 19.2 10.8
Year 1 15.8 13.0
Year 2 25.6 30.7
Year 3 11.8 16.5
Year 4 6.1 9.3
Advanced Placement (AP) 2.6 4.3
Don’t plan to continue 16.6 4.6
Missing 2.8 1.6
Legitimate skip 4.8 1.6
High school diploma or less 6.3 #
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Academic levels are labeled according to the most commonly known course at that level; courses with different names or on topics of different but similar academic
difficulty may be included under these rubrics. For details on coursework classification, see the Technical Notes and Methodology in Planty, M., Provasnik, S., and Daniel, B. (2007). High School Coursetaking: Findings From the
Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007-065). Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
of institution, and academic achievement characteristics: 2004 and 2006
No post-
Academic achievement through 2-year 2-year institution 4-year institution institution institution
characteristic 2006 Total institution All1 Public All Public Private Total in 2006 in 2006
Total 23.0 63.1 0.9 19.9 18.8 42.3 28.4 13.9 13.7 8.0 4.3
1.50 or below 64.2 15.9 ‡ 10.6 9.6 5.0! 2.7! 2.3! 19.1 11.9 4.0!
1.51–2.00 50.1 29.2 0.9! 20.7 18.8 7.6 4.5 3.1 20.4 14.9 2.8
2.01–2.50 34.5 45.7 1.7 25.2 23.9 18.9 12.1 6.7 19.5 13.1 4.2
2.51–3.00 20.8 65.4 0.8 27.2 26.0 37.5 26.7 10.8 13.7 8.0 4.2
3.01–3.50 11.1 79.3 0.7 19.3 18.0 59.3 41.8 17.5 9.6 5.0 4.1
3.51–4.00 3.2 89.2 0.4! 10.4 9.9 78.4 49.7 28.7 7.5 2.1 5.2
12th-grade standardized
mathematics score
Lowest 25 percent 46.0 35.9 1.9 21.7 20.1 12.2 7.8 4.4 17.9 12.0 2.8
Lower middle quarter 25.9 56.5 0.9 28.1 26.5 27.5 19.3 8.2 17.3 11.1 4.6
Upper middle quarter 15.6 73.1 0.5 20.3 19.4 52.4 37.1 15.3 11.3 5.7 4.8
Top 25 percent 5.6 85.4 0.2! 10.3 9.9 74.9 47.9 26.9 8.9 3.8 4.8
Highest level of mathematics
Low academic, nonacademic, or
no mathematics coursework 63.7 20.4 1.2! 15.8 14.2 3.4 1.9! 1.5! 15.8 10.5 2.9
Algebra I/geometry 45.9 35.3 1.6 24.7 23.0 9.0 5.2 3.8 18.5 12.7 3.0
Algebra II 21.7 61.0 1.0 27.6 26.1 32.5 23.0 9.4 17.0 10.7 4.8
Trigonometry/algebra III 13.1 74.4 0.8! 22.1 20.9 51.6 37.4 14.2 12.4 7.7 4.1
Precalculus 6.2 84.2 0.3! 15.1 14.5 68.8 47.3 21.5 9.6 3.8 5.5
Calculus 3.0 91.5 0.1! 7.3 7.1 84.1 50.9 33.1 5.3 1.0 4.2
Highest level of science completed
in high school2
Low academic or no science 59.4 24.7 1.9! 16.9 14.9 5.8 3.4 2.5 15.7 10.1 2.5!
General biology 38.2 43.5 1.2 24.6 23.4 17.7 12.3 5.4 18.2 12.3 3.7
Chemistry I or physics I 17.0 68.9 1.0 23.5 22.2 44.4 31.6 12.8 14.0 8.2 4.7
Chemistry I and physics I 7.2 82.7 0.3! 15.8 15.2 66.5 43.7 22.8 9.8 4.9 4.7
Chemistry II or physics II or
advanced biology 8.1 83.3 0.1! 14.0 13.1 69.2 43.9 25.3 8.5 3.5 4.3
Highest level of foreign language
study completed in high school2
No credit 49.4 33.3 1.2 19.5 18.2 12.5 8.9 3.7 17.1 11.1 3.7
Year 1 31.8 47.3 1.7 25.8 24.1 19.9 14.5 5.4 20.6 13.8 4.4
Year 2 16.0 70.3 0.7 23.6 22.3 46.1 33.5 12.5 13.4 7.8 4.7
Year 3 8.1 82.9 0.4! 18.5 17.7 64.0 42.5 21.5 8.9 4.3 4.1
Year 4 5.5 88.3 0.4! 11.0 10.6 76.8 45.4 31.4 6.2 2.8 3.2
Advanced Placement (AP) 5.5 86.8 ‡ 10.9 10.5 75.6 43.5 32.1 7.7 2.1! 4.8
2 Data are not shown for 7 percent of students who had incomplete or missing transcript data.
NOTE: Academic levels are labeled according to the most commonly known course at that level; courses with different names or on topics of different but similar academic difficulty may be included under these rubrics. For
details on coursework classification, see the Technical Notes and Methodology in Planty, M., Provasnik, S., and Daniel, B. (2007). High School Coursetaking: Findings From the Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007-065). Data
include a few cases of students who enrolled immediately in a postsecondary institution for which the control of the institution was unknown.These cases are included in the “Total” column for immediate enrollment and the
“All” columns for type of institution, but they are not included in the distributions showing control of institution. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding or because some subcategories are not shown.

Community Colleges
control and type of institution and academic achievement characteristics: 2004
Academic achievement characteristic Public for-profit Public for-profit for-profit
Total 29.8 1.4 45.0 20.5 1.5
1.50 or below 60.4 6.1! 16.8! 9.4! 5.1!
1.51–2.00 64.3 5.8 15.5 6.5 4.2!
2.01–2.50 52.2 2.4 26.4 11.4 3.3
2.51–3.00 39.8 1.1 40.8 15.0 1.5
3.01–3.50 22.7 1.3 52.7 21.2 0.8
3.51–4.00 11.1 0.4 55.7 31.6 0.6!
Lowest 25 percent 56.0 4.2 21.6 8.6 3.6
Lower middle quarter 47.0 2.3 34.2 13.1 1.4
Upper middle quarter 26.6 0.8 50.7 19.6 1.3
Top 25 percent 11.5 0.3 56.1 30.5 1.0
high school2
Low academic, nonacademic, or no mathematics
coursework 69.3 7.9! 9.3 4.4! 3.0!
Algebra I/geometry 65.1 4.5 14.7 7.5 3.2
Algebra II 42.8 1.7 37.7 14.0 1.4
Trigonometry/algebra III 28.1 1.3 50.2 17.6 1.5
Precalculus 17.2 0.3 56.2 24.4 1.2
Calculus 7.7 ‡ 55.7 35.4 0.8!
Highest level of science completed in high school2
Low academic or no science 60.5 7.2 13.6 7.2 2.8!
General biology 53.8 2.6 28.3 10.3 2.2
Chemistry I or physics I 32.2 1.4 45.9 16.6 2.0
Chemistry I and physics I 18.3 0.4 52.9 26.9 0.7!
Chemistry II or physics II or advanced biology 15.7 0.8 52.7 29.6 0.8!
Highest level of foreign language study completed in
high school2
No credit 54.6 3.8 26.7 9.6 1.5!
Year 1 51.0 2.9 30.7 8.5 2.8
Year 2 31.7 1.3 47.7 16.3 1.5
Year 3 21.4 0.9 51.2 25.2 0.7!
Year 4 12.0 0.4 51.5 34.1 1.4!
Advanced Placement (AP) 12.1 # 50.1 35.2 1.8!
# Rounds to zero.
2 Data are not shown for 7 percent of students who were missing or had incomplete transcript data.
NOTE: Academic levels are labeled according to the most commonly known course at that level; courses with different names or on topics of different but similar academic difficulty may be included under these rubrics. For
details on coursework classification, see the Technical Notes and Methodology in Planty, M., Provasnik, S., and Daniel, B. (2007). High School Coursetaking: Findings From the Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007-065). Detail
may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
of institution, and academic achievement characteristics: 1992 and 1994
No post-
Academic achievement through 2-year institution 4-year institution institution institution
characteristic 19941 Total2,3 All3 Public All Public Private Total in 1994 in 1994
Total 27.9 51.4 17.0 15.7 33.6 21.9 11.7 20.7 10.6 8.3
mathematics score4
Lowest 25 percent 54.6 27.9 19.5 17.6 7.5 5.5 2.1 17.5 10.7 3.3
Lower middle quarter 35.0 43.9 23.5 21.7 18.9 13.5 5.4 21.1 12.1 6.5
Upper middle quarter 19.0 56.7 19.1 17.4 37.1 25.8 11.3 24.3 12.5 10.7
Top 25 percent 7.6 75.8 10.0 9.6 65.6 39.9 25.7 16.6 6.2 9.8
no mathematics coursework 61.1 23.0 18.0 16.2 3.9 2.4 1.5 16.0 10.5 2.4
Algebra I/geometry 41.7 33.9 22.9 21.1 9.8 6.7 3.1 24.4 15.0 6.4
Algebra II 21.1 55.0 21.4 20.4 32.7 23.3 9.4 23.9 12.2 10.1
Trigonometry/algebra III 11.2 70.0 17.2 16.0 52.4 36.4 16.0 18.8 8.2 9.6
Precalculus 4.6 77.2 10.0 9.4 66.7 42.9 23.9 18.2 6.5 11.5
Calculus 3.8 82.8 5.4 4.9 77.5 45.0 32.5 13.4 4.4 8.5
in high school5
Low academic or no science 53.6 27.1 18.6 17.3 7.5 5.3 2.3 19.3 12.5 2.8
General biology 39.1 39.1 20.9 19.2 17.1 12.4 4.7 21.9 13.1 6.6
Chemistry I or physics I 15.4 62.3 19.5 18.1 42.1 28.9 13.3 22.2 10.6 10.3
Chemistry I and physics I 6.1 76.5 10.8 10.4 65.6 40.0 25.6 17.4 7.5 9.5
advanced biology 8.4 75.6 10.7 10.1 64.7 40.2 24.5 16.0 4.4 10.6
study completed in high school5
No credit 53.1 29.1 17.3 15.9 10.8 7.8 3.0 17.9 10.9 4.2
Year 1 35.7 42.4 23.0 21.2 18.4 13.9 4.5 21.9 13.7 5.8
Year 2 14.6 61.8 19.9 18.7 41.1 30.2 10.9 23.5 11.5 10.7
Year 3 8.6 71.8 13.3 12.5 58.1 33.3 24.8 19.5 7.5 10.9
Year 4 5.8 78.5 8.4 7.8 70.0 39.2 30.8 15.8 4.8 10.5
Advanced Placement (AP) 3.4! 85.3 5.0 4.4 79.7 44.8 34.9 11.2 3.8! 7.1
4 Data are not shown for 22 percent of students who had incomplete or missing standardized mathematics scores.
NOTE: No GPA data shown because NELS did not collect GPA information from schools that is comparable to that collected by the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002). Academic levels are labeled according to the
most commonly known course at that level; courses with different names or on topics of different but similar academic difficulty may be included under these rubrics. For details on coursework classification, see the Technical
Notes and Methodology in Planty, M., Provasnik, S., and Daniel, B. (2007). High School Coursetaking: Findings From the Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007-065). Data include some cases of students who enrolled immedi-
ately in a postsecondary institution for which the control of the institution was unknown. These cases are included in the “Total” column for immediate enrollment and the “All” columns for type of institution, but they are not
included in the distributions showing control of institution. Spring 1992 12th-graders who attended postsecondary institutions for which there is no IPEDS information are excluded. Detail may not sum to totals because of
rounding or because some subcategories are not shown.

Community Colleges
control and type of institution and academic achievement characteristics: 1992
In 2-year institution1 In 4-year institution2
Academic achievement characteristic Public for-profit Public for-profit
Total 30.6 1.4 42.6 22.3
12th-grade standardized mathematics score3
Lowest 25 percent 62.9 5.2 19.6 6.6
Lower middle quarter 49.5 2.3 30.7 12.0
Upper middle quarter 30.8 1.5 45.5 19.9
Top 25 percent 12.7 0.3! 52.6 33.7
high school4
coursework 70.4 6.3! 10.5 5.8
Algebra I/geometry 62.4 3.3 19.7 8.8
Algebra II 37.1 1.0 42.4 16.5
Trigonometry/algebra III 22.8 1.3! 52.0 22.4
Precalculus 12.2 ‡ 55.5 30.8
Calculus 6.0 # 54.3 39.1
Low academic or no science 64.0 3.6 19.5 8.2
General biology 49.1 2.8 31.7 11.6
Chemistry I or physics I 29.1 1.1! 46.3 20.8
Chemistry I and physics I 13.6 0.3! 52.2 33.1
Chemistry II or physics II or advanced biology 13.4 0.5! 53.2 32.4
Highest level of foreign language study completed
in high school4
No credit 54.8 3.2 26.9 9.5
Year 1 50.0 2.8 32.8 9.7
Year 2 30.3 1.1 48.9 17.4
Year 3 17.4 0.4! 46.3 34.6
Year 4 10.0 0.5! 50.0 39.1
Advanced Placement (AP) 5.2 ‡ 52.5 40.9
# Rounds to zero.
1 Private not-for-profit 2-year institutions are not shown separately because the sample size is too small to show breakouts.
2 Private for-profit 4-year institutions are not shown separately because the sample size is too small to show breakouts.
3 Data are not shown for 19 percent of students who had incomplete or missing standardized mathematics scores.
NOTE: No GPA data shown because NELS did not collect GPA information from schools that is comparable to that collected by the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002). Academic levels are labeled according to the
most commonly known course at that level; courses with different names or on topics of different but similar academic difficulty may be included under these rubrics. For details on coursework classification, see the Technical
Notes and Methodology in Planty, M., Provasnik, S., and Daniel, B. (2007). High School Coursetaking: Findings From the Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007-065). Spring 1992 12th-graders who attended postsecondary
institutions for which there is no IPEDS information are excluded. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
Table SA-20. Percentage distribution of immediate enrollees in a postsecondary institution in fall 1994, by control and type of institution and selected
academic achievement characteristics
In 4-year institution1
Academic achievement characteristic All Community college Public Private not-for-profit
Total 1,266,000 387,000 539,000 283,000
2.5 or below — — — —
Above 2.5 — — — —
12th-grade standardized mathematics score ELS
Bottom half 29.7 53.2 18.6 13.3
Top half 70.3 46.8 81.4 86.7
Highest level of mathematics completed in high school3
More advanced than Algebra II 53.8 25.4 66.7 73.4
Highest level of foreign language study completed in high school3
Year 2 or below 64.5 84.4 60.4 40.8
— Not available.
1 Private for-profit 4-year institutions are not shown separately.
2 No comparison with 2004 immediate enrollees by GPA is possible because NELS and ELS did not collect comparable information on grades. For details on the comparability of NELS and ELS variables, see the Technical Note.
3 Denominator excludes about 20 percent of students who had incomplete or missing transcript data.
NOTE: Not all types of postsecondary institutions shown. Academic levels are labeled according to the most commonly known course at that level; courses with different names or on topics of different but similar academic
difficulty may be included under these rubrics. For details on coursework classification, see the Technical Notes and Methodology in Planty, M., Provasnik, S., and Daniel, B. (2007). High School Coursetaking: Findings from the
Condition of Education 2007 (NCES 2007-065). Data include a few cases of students who enrolled immediately in a postsecondary institution for which the control of the institution was unknown. These cases are included in
the “All” column, but they are not included in the distributions showing control of institution. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
of institution, and educational plans and expectations: 2004 and 2006
No post-
education Less-than- 2-year In 2-year In 4-year
Plans and expectations 2006 Total institution All1 Public All Public Private Total in 2006 in 2006
Total 23.0 63.1 0.9 19.9 18.8 42.3 28.4 13.9 13.7 8.0 4.3
Plan to get postsecondary education 19.1 67.0 0.8 20.7 19.5 45.5 30.5 15.0 13.8 7.9! 4.4
Vocational, technical, or trade
school 49.2 28.6 4.4 19.0 12.9 5.2 2.1 3.1 21.8 14.2 3.8
2-year community college 33.5 48.0 1.1 41.7 40.7 5.2 3.1 2.1 18.4 14.1 2.0
4-year college or university 10.0 78.7 0.3 13.3 12.7 65.1 44.0 21.2 11.0 5.1 5.3
Don’t plan to continue 83.3 6.4! # 5.9! 4.9! ‡ # ‡ 10.1 7.9! ‡
Don’t know or unspecified plans 67.2 18.4 1.4! 12.7 12.1 4.4 3.6 0.8! 14.2 8.1 3.8
Highest educational attainment
expected when in 12th-grade (2004)
Don’t know 50.5 33.3 0.7! 20.2 18.9 12.3 8.2 4.2 16.2 10.9 2.8
High school diploma or less 79.0 9.0 1.5! 6.2 5.7 ‡ ‡ # 11.9 7.2 2.8!
Attend or complete 2-year college 45.8 37.4 2.7 29.6 26.0 5.1 2.4 2.7 16.5 11.7 1.8
Obtain graduate degree 7.3 81.8 0.3! 14.1 13.8 67.4 44.0 23.3 10.8 5.4 4.7
expected 2 years later (2006)
Don’t know 36.1 44.4 1.9 24.7 # 17.8 10.5 7.2 19.4 12.1 3.5
Obtain graduate degree 5.4 83.2 0.3! 15.7 15.3 67.2 43.5 23.7 11.2 5.4 5.1
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Data include a few cases of students who enrolled immediately in a postsecondary institution for which the control of the institution was unknown.These cases are included in the “Total” column for immediate enrollment
and the “All” columns for type of institution, but they are not included in the distributions showing control of institution. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding or because some subcategories are not shown.

Community Colleges
control and type of institution and educational plans and expectations: 2004
Plans and expectations Public for-profit Public for-profit for-profit
Total 29.8 1.4 45.0 20.5 1.5
Plan to get postsecondary education 29.1 1.4 45.5 20.8 1.5
Vocational, technical, or trade school 45.1 20.8 7.2 2.8 7.9
2-year community college 84.8 1.7 6.5 2.1 2.2
4-year college or university 16.2 0.4 55.8 25.8 1.1
Don’t plan to continue 76.9 ‡ # ‡ #
Don’t know or unspecified plans 65.4 2.4! 19.5 3.0 ‡
Highest educational attainment expected in 2004
(when in 12th-grade)
Don’t know 56.9 3.4 24.6 10.6 1.9!
High school diploma or less 63.8 ‡ 14.2 # #
Attend or complete 2-year college 69.7 9.2 6.4 3.2 4.0
Obtain graduate degree 16.9 0.2! 53.9 27.7 0.8
Highest educational attainment expected 2 years
later (2006)
Don’t know 51.4 3.9! 23.7 13.8 2.5!
Obtain graduate degree 18.4 0.2! 52.3 27.7 0.8
# Rounds to zero.


Community Colleges
of institution, and educational plans and expectations: 1992 and 1994
No post-
education 2-year In 2-year In 4-year
through institution 4-year institution institution institution
Plans and expectations 19941 Total2,3 All3 Public All Public Private Total in 1994 in 1994
Total 27.9 51.4 17.0 15.7 33.6 21.9 11.7 20.7 10.6 8.3
Plan to get postsecondary education 13.7 65.1 19.9 18.7 44.4 28.9 15.5 21.2 10.2 9.8
Don’t plan to continue 67.1 14.3 9.2 7.5 3.6 2.4 1.2! 18.6 10.9 4.1
Don’t know or unspecified plans 56.5 21.7 13.4 12.4 7.5 5.3 2.3! 21.8 15.9 3.5
Don’t know 45.7 32.2 16.2 13.3 13.5 8.7 4.9 22.1 13.2 5.8
High school diploma or less 88.5 4.8 3.6 3.1 1.0! 1.0! ‡ 6.7 5.0 0.4!
Attend or complete 2-year college 60.7 22.7 16.0 12.6 3.4 2.4 1.1! 16.6 10.3 2.1
Attend or complete 4-year college 20.9 55.5 21.6 20.6 33.4 23.1 10.2 23.6 12.8 9.0
Obtain graduate degree 10.0 69.7 13.8 13.2 55.7 34.3 21.3 20.3 8.0 11.8
Don’t know 52.3 31.3 16.0 13.6 10.6 7.1 3.4! 16.4 9.4 4.1!
Attend or complete 2-year college 55.2 25.8 20.2 17.8 3.8 2.4 1.5 19.0 13.1 2.4!
NOTE: Data include some cases of students who enrolled immediately in a postsecondary institution for which the control of the institution was unknown. These cases are included in the “Total” column for immediate enroll-
ment and the “All” columns for type of institution, but they are not included in the distributions showing control of institution. Spring 1992 12th-graders who attended postsecondary institutions for which there is no IPEDS
information are excluded. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding or because some subcategories are not shown.

Community Colleges
control and type of institution and educational plans and expectations: 1992
Total 30.6 1.4 42.6 22.3 0.4
Plan to get postsecondary education 28.7 1.1 44.4 23.4 0.4!
Don’t plan to continue 52.7 6.3! 17.0 7.3! 0.9!
Don’t know or unspecified plans 57.2 4.2! 24.2 10.4! #
Highest educational attainment expected when in
12th-grade (1992)
Don’t know 41.4 2.0! 26.9 14.8 ‡
High school diploma or less 64.5 9.7! 20.0! ‡ #
Attend or complete 2-year college/school 55.4 12.7 10.4 2.1! 2.6!
Attend or complete 4-year college 37.0 1.0 41.7 18.0 0.4!
Obtain graduate degree 18.9 0.4! 49.3 30.5 0.2!
later (1994)
Don’t know 43.3 7.2! 22.7 11.0! #
Attend or complete 2-year college/school 69.1 6.5 9.2 4.8 ‡
Attend or complete 4-year college 42.4 1.5 39.0 13.8 0.4!
Obtain graduate degree 17.2 0.4! 50.6 30.4 0.3!
# Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Spring 1992 12th-graders who attended postsecondary institutions for which there is no IPEDS information are excluded. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
Table SA-25. Percentage of 2003–04 beginning postsecondary students who in 2006 were still enrolled and/or had completed a degree or certificate program
at any postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution, program plans, and attendance status
Total who either Completed a degree or certificate

completed program No degree or certificate earned yet
a degree or Still enrolled at No longer enrolled Still enrolled at No longer enrolled
Control and type of institution, certificate or are a postsecondary at a postsecondary a postsecondary at a postsecondary
program plans, and attendance status still enrolled institution institution institution institution
All 66.5 7.0 8.9 50.7 33.5
Control and type of institution in which first
enrolled in 2003–04
Public 2-year 55.4 10.1 5.5 39.8 44.6
Public 4-year 82.7 2.4 3.2 77.2 17.3
Private not-for-profit 4-year 83.9 3.1 4.0 76.8 16.1
Private for-profit 4-year 53.7 9.0 29.0 15.7 46.3
Private not-for-profit less-than-4-year 61.6 12.4 21.8 27.3 38.4
Among first-time community college students

Program plans
4-year transfer intentions 60.9 12.2 2.5 46.2 39.1
Associate’s degree program 49.6 8.9 6.0 34.7 50.4
Certificate intentions 53.1 11.1 21.9 20.1 46.9
No degree intentions 41.6 1.8 4.4 35.4 58.4
Full-time always 59.3 14.1 8.6 36.5 40.7
Part-time always 29.5 2.8 2.8 23.9 70.5
Mixed full- and part-time 70.1 11.4 4.3 54.3 29.9
NOTE: Estimates in the table include students enrolled in institutions in Puerto Rico. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Community Colleges
Technical Notes
This special analysis draws upon various NCES The standard errors for all the estimated means
datasets, which are summarized in exhibit A. and percentages reported in the figures and
Many of the findings in this special analysis tables of the special analysis can be found on
come from previously published NCES re- The Condition of Education website at http://
ports; however, the findings in part A and part nces.ed.gov/programs/coe.
B of section 2 come from special analyses of
ELS:2002, NELS:88, and BPS:04/06. These An estimate with a smaller standard error pro-
three datasets were obtained from statistical vides a more reliable estimate of the true value
samples of the entire population of target than an estimate with a higher standard error.
students. These technical notes describe vari- Standard errors tend to diminish in size as the
ous issues that are important to keep in mind size of the sample (or subsample) increases.
when interpreting sampled data as well as the Consequently, for the same data, such as the
sample populations and the variables created percentage of students who enrolled immedi-
for these special analyses. For detailed informa- ately in a community college, standard errors
tion about any of the NCES datasets, see http:// will almost always be larger for American
nces.ed.gov/surveys/. Indian/Alaska Native students than for White
students because the latter represent a larger
proportion of the population.
Estimates From Sampled Data
Estimating the size of the total population or Analysis and Interpretation
subpopulations from a data source based on a Due to standard errors, caution is warranted
sample of the entire population requires consid- when drawing conclusions about the size of one
eration of several factors before the estimates population estimate in comparison to another
become meaningful. However conscientious an or whether a time series of population estimates
organization may be in collecting data from a is increasing, decreasing, or staying about the
sample of a population, there will always be same. Although one estimate of the population
some margin of error in estimating the size of size may be larger than another, a statistical
the actual total population or subpopulation test may reveal that there is no measurable
because the data are available from only a por- difference between the two estimates due to
tion of the total population. Consequently, data their uncertainty. Whether differences in means
from samples can provide only an estimate of or percentages are statistically significant can
the true or actual value. The margin of error be determined by using the standard errors of
or the range of the estimate depends on several the estimates. When differences are statistically
factors, such as the amount of variation in the significant, the probability that the difference
responses, the size and representativeness of occurred by chance is usually small; for ex-
the sample, and the size of the subgroup for ample, it might be about 5 times out of 100.
which the estimate is computed. The magni- For this special analysis, differences between
tude of this margin of error is measured by means or percentages (including increases
what statisticians call the “standard error” of or decreases) are stated only when they are
an estimate. statistically significant. To determine whether
differences reported are statistically significant,
Standard Errors two-tailed t tests, at the .05 level, were used.
The standard error for each estimate in this The t test formula for determining statistical
special analysis was calculated in order to deter- significance was adjusted when the samples
mine the “margin of error” for these estimates. being compared were dependent.

Community Colleges
Exhibit A. Overview of the datasets used for the special analysis
Time
period/data Data Population of
Dataset Abbreviation collection source interest Type of data collected
Universe data
Education Directory, Colleges and Universities — 1949–50 Colleges All postsecondary Administrative records, including
through and institutions enrollment, degrees conferred, and
1965–66 universities financial information
Higher Education General Information Survey, HEGIS 1966–67 Colleges All postsecondary Administrative records, including
“Institutional Characteristics of Colleges and through and institutions enrollment, degrees conferred, and
Universities” 1985–86 universities financial information
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, IPEDS 1986–87 Colleges All postsecondary Administrative records, including
“Institutional Characteristics Survey” through and institutions enrollment, degrees conferred, and
2005–06 universities financial information
Sample survey data

Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 ELS 2002, with Students Spring 2004 high A nationally representative
follow-ups school seniors who longitudinal study of high school
in 2004 enrolled in college students to study their educational
and 2006 in fall 2004 experiences and their life choices
after school
National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 NELS 1988, with Students Spring 1992 high A nationally representative longitu-
follow-ups in school seniors who dinal study of 8th-graders to study
1992, 1994, enrolled in college their educational experiences and
1996 in fall 1992 their life choices after school
Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal BPS 2006 Postsec- First-time under- The third national study of
Study of 2003/06 follow-up to ondary graduates who postsecondary students’ financial
NPSAS:04 under- enrolled in college aid records covering the entire
graduates in 2003–04 undergraduate period to provide
complete information on progress
and persistence
National Postsecondary Student Aid Study NPSAS 1986–87, Postsec- All postsecondary A nationwide study designed to
1989–90, ondary students determine how students and their
1992–93, students families pay for postsecondary
1995–96, education
1999–2000,
and 2003–04
National Study of Postsecondary Faculty NSOPF 1987–88, Postsec- All postsecondary A nationwide study designed to
1992–93, ondary faculty gather information on both full-
1998–99, faculty and part-time faculty, including
and 2003–04 their education, responsibilities,
workloads, and salaries
NOTE: For more details on all of these surveys, see http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Community Colleges
Rounding and Other Considerations obtained for about 14,900 participants, or for
Although values reported in the supplemental about 91 percent (weighted) of the ELS:2002
tables are rounded to one decimal place (e.g., student sample. The ELS:02/06 second follow-
76.5 percent), values reported in this special up surveyed 15,000 participants (out of 16,400
analysis are rounded to whole numbers (with eligible for the sample) between January and
any value of 0.5 or above rounded to the next September 2006, about 2 years after most
highest whole number). Due to rounding, total sample members had completed high school.
percentages sometimes differ from the sum of
For the special analysis in section 2, part A,
the reported parts, which may, for example,
only students in the spring-term 2004 senior
equal 99 or 101 percent, rather than the per-
cohort (or “2004 seniors”) were used.3 The
centage distribution’s total of 100 percent.
2004 seniors who enrolled in a postsecond-
Some values reported in supplemental tables are ary institution some time between July and
flagged with an exclamation mark (!) to alert December 2004 were classified as “immediate
readers that those values have relatively large enrollees.” The 2004 seniors who first enrolled
standard errors in relation to the estimated in a postsecondary institution after December
value, or, in other words, have larger confi- 2004 and before the second follow-up in
dence intervals around them than unflagged 2006 were classified as “delayed enrollees.”
estimates. Specifically, this special analysis has The 2004 seniors who had never enrolled in
flagged values with standard errors greater than a postsecondary institution before the second
30 percent of the estimated value. For example, follow-up in 2006 were considered to have had
an estimate of 15.3 percent with a standard er- “no postsecondary education through 2006.”
ror of 4.9 is flagged because 4.9 / 15.3 equals
To determine the type of postsecondary insti-
0.32. (With this standard error, at a confidence
tution into which 2004 immediate enrollees
level of .95, the estimate may differ from the
enrolled, this special analysis used the ELS
actual value by ±9.6 or, in other words, lies
variables F2PS1 and F2IORDER to identify
in the confidence interval 6.6 and 24.9.) In
the first postsecondary institution a student
contrast, an estimate of 15.3 percent with a
attended.4 The postsecondary institution used
standard error of 1.8 is not flagged because
to classify delayed enrollees by institution type
1.8 / 15.3 equals 0.12. (With this standard
was the last institution in which the delayed
error, at a confidence level of .95, the estimate
enrollee was enrolled before the second follow-
may differ from the actual value by ±3.5 or,
up in 2006.5
in other words, lies in the confidence interval
11.8 and 18.8.) The special analysis used the panel weight
F2F1WT, which generalizes to the spring 2004
Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 senior cohort who also participated in the sec-
(ELS:2002) ond follow-up survey.
The ELS:2002 base year conducted a baseline For more information on ELS:2002, including
survey of high school sophomores in spring sampling design, data collection methodology,
term 2002, surveying almost 15,400 students data processing and procedures, response rates,
in 752 schools (out of 17,600 students and imputation, weighting, and the construction of
1,268 schools selected for the sample).1 The specific variables, see Ingels et al. (2007).
ELS:02/04 first follow-up surveyed 15,000
of the participants (out of 16,500 eligible for
National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988
the sample) in the spring of 2004, when most (NELS:88)
sample members were seniors (though some
were dropouts, some early graduates, and some The NELS:88 base year conducted a baseline
retained in an earlier grade).2 The first follow- survey of high school 8th-graders in spring
up survey collected high school course offerings term 1988, surveying almost 24,600 students
and student transcripts (coursetaking records in 1,052 schools (out of about 26,400 students
at the student level for grades 9–12) for all and 1,032 schools selected for the sample).6
sample members. Transcript information was The NELS:88/92 second follow-up surveyed

Community Colleges
about 16,800 of the participants (out of 18,200 tion in which the student enrolled after August
eligible for the sample7) in the spring of 1992, 1992 or (2) the institution in which the student
when most sample members were in their final enrolled before September 1992 and in which
semester of high school (though some were he or she remained a student through at least
dropouts, some early graduates, and some re- September 1992. The postsecondary institution
tained in an earlier grade).8 The second follow- used to classify delayed enrollees by institution
up survey collected high school course offerings type was the last institution in which the de-
and student transcripts (coursetaking records layed enrollee was enrolled before the second
at the student level for grades 9–12) for all follow-up in 1994.13
sample members. Transcript information was
obtained for about 17,300 participants, or for The special analysis used the panel weight
about 88 percent (weighted) of the NELS:88 F3F2PNWT, which generalizes to the spring
student sample. The NELS:88/94 third follow- 1992 senior cohort who also participated in
up surveyed the students during the spring of the third follow-up survey.
1994, about 2 years after most sample members For more information on NELS:88, including
had completed high school. This follow-up sampling design, data collection methodology,
included 14,900 participants (out of almost data processing and procedures, response rates,
16,000 eligible for the sample).9 imputation, weighting, and the construction of
For the special analysis in section 2, part A, specific variables, see Curtin et al. (2002).
only students in the spring-term 1992 senior ELS was designed to permit comparisons with
cohort (or “1992 seniors”) were used.10 The NELS data; however, some variables used in
1992 seniors who enrolled in a postsecond- this special analysis are not directly comparable
ary institution some time between May and between the two datasets. The following bul-
December 1992 were classified as “immediate lets describe these variables and how they are
enrollees.”11 The 1992 seniors who enrolled treated in the special analysis:
in a postsecondary institution after December
1992 and before the third follow-up in 1994 Data on grade point averages (GPAs)
were classified as “delayed enrollees.” The were collected for ELS from schools on a
1992 seniors who had never enrolled in a post- standardized scale of 0.0 to 4.0; however
secondary institution before the third follow- for NELS, schools reported student GPAs
up in 1994 were considered to have had “no on a scale of 0 to 104. Given the different
postsecondary education through 1994.”12 The scales, no comparison is made and the
1992 seniors who enrolled in a postsecondary NELS GPA data are not reported. For the
institution outside the United States (24 cases, analysis of the GPAs in ELS, a cutpoint of
incode = -10) and who reported attending a 2.5 was used to distinguish the top half of
“postsecondary” institution for which no iden- the grade distribution from the bottom half:
tifying IPEDS data existed (500 cases, incode = grades above 2.5 (typically equated to a C+
-12) were dropped from the analysis. or better) fall into 3 categories (2.51-3.0,
3.1-3.5, and 3.51-4.0) and grades of 2.5 or
Because NELS does not include information below fall into 3 categories for which credit
identifying all types of postsecondary institu- is earned (2.1-2.5, 1.51-2.0, and 1.0-1.5).
tions, data on the level (i.e., 2-year or 4-year)
and control (e.g., public or private) of all post- Data on family income in ELS were from a
secondary institutions in IPEDS 1993/94 were base year 2 years prior to the data collection
merged with the NELS data. To determine the for 2004 seniors; however, the NELS data
type of postsecondary institution into which on family income come from a base year 4
1992 immediate enrollees enrolled, this special years prior to the data collection for 1992
analysis used the IPEDS variables CONTROL seniors. In addition, the cutpoints used to
and LEVEL associated with the first “real” collect the information varied slightly: ELS
postsecondary institution a student attended. used categories that began with “001” and
The first “real” postsecondary institution that a ended in “000” (e.g., “$20,001–35,000”)
student attended was either (1) the first institu- while NELS used categories that began

Community Colleges
with “000” and ended in “999” (e.g., categories were created and on the courses
$20,000–34,999”). These data are reported assigned to each category, see the Technical
as they are without any adjustments to Notes and Methodology in Planty, Provasnik,
make them more comparable, given that and Daniel (2007).
no adjustments for inflation (which is
a greater source of incompatibility) are Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudi-
possible with such categorical data. nal Study of 2006 (BPS:04/06)
Data on race/ethnicity in ELS were BPS:04/06 surveyed a subsample of the 89,500

collected using the Office of Management undergraduates who participated in the Nation-
and Budget (OMB) standard racial al Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS)
and ethnic classifications for the 2000 of all postsecondary students in academic year
Census. These superseded the prior OMB 2003–04.14 NPSAS:04 selected a sample of
classifications, used in NELS, which did postsecondary students from some 1,600 post-
not include the category “more than one secondary institutions that were stratified to be
race.” As a result of the new category, nationally representative of the entire postsec-
the race categories in ELS and NELS are ondary universe of institutions. The students
not directly comparable. These data are were initially interviewed for NPSAS in 2004;
reported as they are. the BPS:04/06 study is the first follow-up of
these students 3 years later in 2006. BPS:04/06
Data on the 2004 seniors’ post-high surveyed about 18,600 NPSAS:04 participants
school plans in ELS identify the type of who began their postsecondary education in the
postsecondary institution (e.g., at a 2-year academic year 2003–04.
or 4-year institution) that a senior plans to
attend, if he or she reported having plans to The BPS:04/06 data for this special analysis
get a postsecondary education. In contrast, were analyzed using NCES’ Data Analysis
data on 1992 seniors in NELS only report System (DAS). BPS data in the DAS pertain to
if seniors had plans to get a postsecondary the experiences of students over 3 academic
education (not the type of postsecondary years and provide information about rates of
institution they planned to attend). These program completion, transfer, and attrition for
data are reported as they are, with a total students who first enrolled at various types of
shown for 2004 seniors who had plans to postsecondary institutions. The DAS may be
get any type of postsecondary education. accessed at http://nces.ed.gov/das/.
Transcript data collected as part of ELS and For more information about BPS:04/06 includ-
NELS were classified into the coursetaking ing sampling design, data collection methodol-
categories using the same coding scheme. For ogy, imputation, and weighting, see appendix
more information on how these coursetaking B of Berkner et al. (2007).

Community Colleges
Notes
1 Schools were the first-stage unit of selection, with sophomores randomly selected within schools.
2 At this time, the survey was “freshened” to ensure a nationally representative spring-term 2004 senior cohort.This freshening procedure
is a method for producing a representative sample of students who were enrolled in 12th grade in 2004 but were not enrolled in 10th
grade in 2002 (e.g., students held back in the 11th or 12th grades or who were not in school in the United States in 2002).
3 The filter used for this population was G12COHRT > 0.
4 The ELS variable F2PS1 takes into account the fact that some 2004 seniors took college classes over the summer before entering their
“real” college of intended matriculation in the fall. In most cases, the first “real” institution (what F2PS1 identifies) is the postsecondary
institution with the earliest start date (and will therefore appear first on the ELS institution file, i.e. F2IORDER=1). This was not the case,
however, if (1) the first chronological institution (as opposed to the first “real” institution) is a summer school (defined as an institution
with a start date of May, June, or July, and a same year end date of May, June, July, or August); (2) the summer school was attended in the
same year as high school completion/exit; and (3) a second postsecondary institution (with longer total enrollment) was also started in
August, September, or October of that same year. If all the above conditions are met, the post-summer school institution is identified in
F2PS1. If the earliest start date is shared by more than one institution, the one with the longest enrollment period is identified in F2PS1.
5 For delayed enrollees who were enrolled concurrently in more than one institution, the institution in which the student was enrolled the
longest amount of time was used to determine the institution type.

6 More schools ended up participating than were in the original selected sample.
7 Excludes dropouts.
8 The sample was also “freshened” to ensure a nationally representative spring-term high school senior class of 1992.
9 To control costs in the third follow-up, subsampling was instituted to reduce the second follow-up sample of 21,600 participating students
and dropouts to some 16,000 sample members. See Curtin et al. (2002), p. 38.
10 The filter used for this population was G12COHRT > 0.
11 For some 1992 seniors, the month that they enrolled in their first postsecondary institution was missing or unknown. If these seniors
reported that they enrolled in their first postsecondary institution in 1992, they were classified as “immediate enrollees.” Students initially
classified as “immediate enrollees” who reported an end date of their postsecondary education before September 1992 were reclassified.
Those who enrolled in another postsecondary institution before January 1993 were reclassified as “immediate enrollees” at the control and
level of the institution enrolled at in the fall.Those who did not enroll in another postsecondary institution before January 1993, but enrolled
sometime before the third follow-up in 1994, were reclassified as “delayed enrollees” at the control and level of that later institution.
12 The category “no postsecondary education through 1994” also includes a few students who had enrolled in a postsecondary institution
before graduating high school (e.g., dual-credit course students) but who did not enroll in a postsecondary institution again before the
third follow-up in 1994.
13 For delayed enrollees who were enrolled concurrently in more than one institution, the institution in which the student was enrolled
the longest amount of time was used to determine the institution type.
14 BPS also surveyed first-time graduate students, but these data were not used for this special analysis.

Community Colleges
Community Colleges
Standard Error Tables
Table SSA-7. Standard errors for the number and percentage distribution of faculty and instructional staff in degree-granting institutions, by control and
type of institution and selected faculty characteristics: Fall 2003

Faculty characteristic Total Public Private Public Private
Sex
Male # 0.07 0.38 0.05 0.08
Female # 0.07 0.38 0.05 0.08
Race/ethnicity
White 0.15 0.27 1.26 0.32 0.15
Black 0.08 0.10 1.32 0.16 0.08
Hispanic 0.01 0.02 0.19 0.03 0.02
Asian 0.07 0.10 0.79 0.13 0.09
Pacific Islander 0.03 0.08 † 0.03 0.05
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.06 0.17 † 0.07 0.09
More than one race 0.10 0.19 1.40 0.19 0.17
Employment status
Full-time # 0.08 0.39 0.05 0.09
Part-time # 0.08 0.39 0.05 0.09
Highest level of educational attainment
Less than bachelor’s 0.28 0.83 4.23 0.17 0.18
Bachelor’s 0.28 0.90 2.95 0.36 0.44
Master’s 0.40 1.16 2.59 0.55 0.80
First-professional 0.22 0.34 1.33 0.32 0.53
Doctorate 0.42 0.65 4.46 0.69 0.73
Main activity
Teaching 0.34 0.52 5.70 0.48 0.57
Research 0.18 0.03 † 0.40 0.31
Administration 0.18 0.21 4.26 0.30 0.35
Other 0.28 0.47 1.76 0.37 0.44
† Not applicable.
# Rounds to zero.

Community Colleges
Table SSA-8. Standard errors for the percentage of beginning postsecondary students who reported taking various types of remedial courses in their first
year, by control and type of institution: 2003–04

Private Private
Not-for- Not-for-
Remedial course All Public profit For-profit Public profit For-profit
Any 0.44 0.80 5.43 1.95 0.73 0.96 2.50
English 0.26 0.56 4.50 1.02 0.39 0.49 1.60
Mathematics 0.43 0.79 4.61 1.62 0.70 0.84 2.15
Reading 0.26 0.52 3.12 0.81 0.42 0.42 1.24
Study skills 0.17 0.31 2.07 1.13 0.22 0.30 1.18
Writing 0.30 0.56 2.57 1.58 0.45 0.61 1.50

Community Colleges
Table SSA-9. Standard errors for the percentage distribution of undergraduates, by control and type of institution and student characteristics: 2003–04
Community 4-year institution

Characteristic college Public Private not-for-profit
Sex
Male 0.55 0.52 1.38
Female 0.55 0.52 1.38
Race/ethnicity
White 1.48 1.02 1.91
Black 1.04 0.99 1.67
Hispanic 0.79 0.34 0.80
Asian 0.36 0.30 0.29
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.14 0.27 0.08
Pacific Islander 0.10 0.07 0.05
More than one race 0.14 0.15 0.19
Other 0.10 0.10 0.13
Age
18 or younger 0.53 0.24 0.44
19–23 0.55 0.72 1.50
24–29 0.49 0.50 0.68
30–39 0.41 0.39 0.71
40 or older 0.50 0.28 0.95
Median 0.38 # #
Average 0.18 0.11 0.33
Marital status
Not married 0.69 0.67 1.23
Married 0.68 0.63 1.11
Separated 0.16 0.15 0.23
Single parent 0.54 0.28 0.73
Parents’ highest level of education
High school or less 0.76 0.53 0.94
Some postsecondary education 0.50 0.32 0.56
Bachelor’s degree or higher 0.66 0.49 0.95
Dependency and income
Dependent students 0.89 0.92 1.78
Less than $20,000 0.24 0.27 0.27
$20,000–39,999 0.22 0.28 0.40
$40,000–59,999 0.27 0.28 0.41
$60,000–79,999 0.26 0.28 0.46
$80,000–99,999 0.23 0.31 0.49
$100,000 or more 0.41 0.48 0.61
Independent students 0.89 0.92 1.78
Less than $10,000 0.38 0.32 0.35
$10,000–19,999 0.38 0.28 0.41
$20,000–29,999 0.31 0.30 0.61
$30,000–49,999 0.43 0.31 0.50
$50,000 or more 0.46 0.40 0.90
# Rounds to zero.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04).

Community Colleges
Table SSA-10. Standard errors for the percentage distribution of the spring 2004 12th-grade cohort, by immediate and delayed postsecondary enrollment
status, control and type of institution, and selected background characteristics: 2004 and 2006
No post-
through 2-year 2-year institution 4-year institution institution institution
Background characteristic 2006 Total institution All Public All Public Private Total in 2006 in 2006
Total 0.60 0.71 0.11 0.56 0.55 0.84 0.63 0.49 0.38 0.32 0.26
Sex
Male 0.81 0.93 0.13 0.76 0.74 0.94 0.78 0.61 0.56 0.46 0.38
Female 0.70 0.87 0.17 0.66 0.65 1.06 0.82 0.63 0.56 0.46 0.30
Race/ethnicity
White 0.67 0.82 0.12 0.70 0.68 1.00 0.74 0.67 0.47 0.36 0.34
Black 1.49 1.73 0.33 1.34 1.32 1.62 1.40 0.81 1.12 0.90 0.63
Hispanic 1.59 1.68 0.35 1.58 1.50 1.49 1.25 0.76 1.16 1.02 0.66
Asian/Pacific Islander 1.42 1.51 0.24 1.38 1.34 1.89 1.83 1.34 1.06 0.78 0.66
Native 8.16 7.57 † 5.23 5.16 6.52 5.30 3.25 4.41 3.51 2.36
More than one race 2.63 2.69 0.76 1.97 1.87 2.89 2.59 2.07 1.63 1.34 1.08
Socioeconomic status (SES)
Lowest 25 percent 1.19 1.21 0.32 1.11 1.08 0.99 0.84 0.55 0.87 0.79 0.47
Middle 50 percent 0.70 0.81 0.15 0.73 0.72 0.90 0.76 0.53 0.54 0.44 0.32
Highest 25 percent 0.60 0.95 0.11 0.81 0.81 1.14 1.13 1.08 0.69 0.47 0.58
education
Did not finish high school 2.51 2.25 0.49 2.00 1.92 1.71 1.42 0.97 1.78 1.79 0.74
High school completer or GED 1.24 1.30 0.35 1.06 1.02 1.14 1.00 0.57 0.84 0.75 0.49
Some college 0.85 0.99 0.18 0.94 0.92 0.98 0.85 0.60 0.71 0.57 0.41
Graduated from college 0.86 1.07 0.13 0.89 0.86 1.25 1.17 0.98 0.78 0.56 0.51
equivalent 1.12 1.49 0.22 1.15 1.13 1.71 1.69 1.41 1.05 0.76 0.72
other advanced degree 1.24 1.74 0.23 1.37 1.36 2.11 2.56 2.36 1.33 0.86 0.97
Student’s family’s income from
all sources in 2001
$20,000 or less 1.56 1.51 0.36 1.37 1.37 1.25 1.06 0.73 1.16 1.00 0.62
$20,001–35,000 1.26 1.42 0.21 1.15 1.12 1.25 1.07 0.72 0.98 0.79 0.55
$35,001–50,000 1.28 1.34 0.33 1.20 1.11 1.33 1.20 0.82 0.82 0.64 0.48
$50,001–75,000 1.01 1.23 0.22 1.05 1.03 1.33 1.22 0.85 0.78 0.69 0.51
$75,001–100,000 1.04 1.29 0.18 1.22 1.21 1.63 1.50 1.29 0.99 0.73 0.66
More than $100,000 0.77 1.28 0.10 1.07 1.05 1.62 1.60 1.39 1.05 0.77 0.78
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
Table SSA-11. Standard errors for the percentage distribution of the spring 2004 12th-grade cohort who enrolled immediately after high school in a
postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and selected background characteristics: 2004
In 2-year institution In 4-year institution

Background characteristic Public for-profit Public for-profit for-profit
Total 0.87 0.19 0.82 0.68 0.17
Sex
Male 1.16 0.32 1.15 0.91 0.30
Female 1.00 0.22 0.99 0.84 0.19
Race/ethnicity
White 0.99 0.22 0.94 0.86 0.18
Black 2.20 0.41 2.23 1.23 0.66
Hispanic 2.67 1.03 2.34 1.39 0.71
Asian/Pacific Islander 1.78 0.50 2.14 1.64 0.41
American Indian/Alaska Native 10.32 † 9.09 6.61 †
More than one race 2.96 † 3.60 3.09 1.26
Lowest 25 percent 2.10 0.74 1.84 1.15 0.59
Middle 50 percent 1.10 0.33 1.06 0.77 0.24
Highest 25 percent 0.98 0.07 1.26 1.23 0.26
Did not finish high school 3.74 1.88 3.35 1.53 1.48
High school completer or GED 1.83 0.69 1.79 1.09 0.42
Some college 1.38 0.34 1.31 0.92 0.33
Graduated from college 1.15 0.30 1.43 1.21 0.39
Completed master’s or equivalent 1.40 0.13 1.87 1.66 0.32
Completed Ph.D., M.D., or other advanced degree 1.65 † 2.87 2.78 0.23
$20,000 or less 2.69 0.36 2.34 1.58 0.64
$20,001–35,000 1.81 0.54 1.69 1.30 0.52
$35,001–50,000 1.62 0.72 1.71 1.28 0.40
$50,001–75,000 1.45 0.35 1.56 1.19 0.30
$75,001–100,000 1.56 0.38 1.81 1.55 0.42
More than $100,000 1.29 0.23 1.70 1.56 0.45
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
status, control and type of institution, and selected background characteristics: 1992 and 1994
No post-
Background characteristic 1994 Total All Public All Public Private Total in 1994 in 1994
Total 0.70 0.78 0.61 0.61 0.82 0.62 0.60 0.54 0.41 0.40
Sex
Male 0.96 1.05 0.86 0.85 0.99 0.74 0.72 0.75 0.57 0.53
Female 0.85 0.98 0.73 0.72 1.04 0.84 0.81 0.72 0.58 0.56
Race/ethnicity
White 0.78 0.89 0.73 0.72 0.94 0.72 0.69 0.63 0.50 0.46
Black 2.16 2.12 1.63 1.61 1.85 1.57 1.32 1.79 1.09 1.45
Hispanic 1.93 2.03 1.73 1.70 1.45 1.22 1.01 1.59 1.32 0.77
Asian/Pacific Islander 1.83 2.48 2.06 2.03 2.96 2.54 2.35 1.87 1.67 0.98
Native 5.37 5.11 5.25 5.25 3.94 3.43 2.00 2.80 2.75 1.01
Lowest 25 percent 1.49 1.40 1.19 1.18 0.87 0.72 0.54 1.08 0.97 0.46
Middle 50 percent 0.82 0.88 0.77 0.77 0.86 0.77 0.50 0.72 0.59 0.49
Highest 25 percent 0.68 1.25 1.24 1.19 1.52 1.28 1.46 1.09 0.62 0.91
education
Did not finish high school 2.40 2.40 1.53 1.42 1.71 1.58 0.85 1.57 1.39 0.76
High school completer or
GED 1.51 1.47 1.44 1.43 1.01 0.82 0.67 1.23 1.13 0.53
Some college 0.97 1.01 0.83 0.82 0.96 0.88 0.57 0.85 0.66 0.66
Graduated from college 0.96 1.70 1.18 1.16 1.78 1.51 1.24 1.63 0.86 1.26
equivalent 1.15 2.04 1.34 1.22 2.31 2.18 2.90 1.85 1.14 1.35
other advanced degree 1.34 2.45 3.43 3.05 3.82 2.98 3.21 2.14 1.22 1.74
Student’s family’s income
from all sources in 1991
Less than $20,000 1.61 1.61 1.28 1.27 1.23 1.06 0.84 1.14 0.91 0.62
$20,000–34,999 1.22 1.29 1.05 1.00 1.11 1.02 0.62 0.99 0.88 0.57
$35,000–49,999 1.47 1.55 1.34 1.34 1.44 1.32 0.83 1.19 0.94 0.80
$50,000–74,999 0.95 1.75 1.39 1.37 1.88 1.46 1.57 1.57 1.05 1.21
$75,000–99,999 1.50 2.38 2.00 1.61 2.57 2.11 2.15 2.15 1.37 1.78
$100,000 or more 1.07 2.31 1.16 1.14 2.50 2.57 3.04 2.09 1.17 1.78

Community Colleges
postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and selected background characteristics: 1992

Background characteristic Public for-profit Public for-profit
Total 1.12 0.19 1.07 1.03
Sex
Male 1.57 0.28 1.39 1.35
Female 1.28 0.24 1.35 1.35
Race/ethnicity
White 1.28 0.20 1.21 1.17
Black 3.25 1.02 3.44 2.65
Hispanic 2.98 0.56 2.49 2.21
Asian/Pacific Islander 3.11 † 3.43 3.32
American Indian/Alaska Native 9.56 † 7.75 5.03
Lowest 25 percent 2.70 0.83 2.25 1.63
Middle 50 percent 1.42 0.31 1.37 0.98
Highest 25 percent 1.62 0.13 1.74 1.90
Did not finish high school 3.46 1.83 3.61 2.10
High school completer or GED 2.83 0.74 2.24 1.78
Some college 1.48 0.31 1.52 1.10
Graduated from college 1.68 0.22 1.91 1.67
Completed master’s or equivalent 1.63 0.25 2.95 3.38
Completed Ph.D., M.D., or other advanced degree 3.92 † 3.98 3.95
Less than $20,000 2.69 0.72 2.44 2.06
$20,000–34,999 1.86 0.48 1.87 1.28
$35,000–49,999 2.24 0.34 2.21 1.52
$50,000–74,999 2.06 0.45 2.12 2.23
$75,000–99,999 2.25 0.38 2.76 2.87
$100,000 or more 1.57 † 3.51 3.63
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
Table SSA-14. Standard errors for the percentage distribution of the spring 2004 12th-grade cohort, by immediate postsecondary enrollment status and
selected characteristics: 2004

Total † †
Sex
Male 0.56 0.70
Female 0.56 0.70
Race/ethnicity
White 0.97 1.01
Black 0.66 0.66
Hispanic 0.83 0.78
$20,000 or less 0.48 0.46
$20,001–35,000 0.47 0.53
$35,001–50,000 0.50 0.63
$50,001–75,000 0.50 0.64
$75,001–100,000 0.45 0.56
More than $100,000 0.58 0.75
Nonrespondent and missing 0.64 0.72
1.50 or below 0.23 0.16
1.51–2.00 0.42 0.35
2.01–2.50 0.46 0.46
2.51–3.00 0.48 0.63
3.01–3.50 0.50 0.68
3.51–4.00 0.54 0.70

Community Colleges
selected characteristics: 2004—Continued

Calculus 0.48 0.65
No credit 0.65 0.53
Year 1 0.53 0.53
Year 2 0.77 1.00
Year 3 0.59 0.75
Year 4 0.44 0.62
Advanced placement (AP) 0.40 0.56
Vocational, technical, or trade school 0.34 0.29
2-year community college 0.59 0.62
4-year college or university 0.75 0.73
Early high school graduation, already attending postsecondary school 0.07 0.03
Missing 0.05 0.03

Community Colleges

High school diploma or less 0.29 †
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
selected characteristics: 1992

Total † †
Sex
Male 0.69 0.96
Female 0.69 0.96
Race/ethnicity
White 1.13 1.22
Black 0.78 0.82
Hispanic 0.74 0.79
Missing 0.09 0.13
Missing 0.43 0.61
Less than $20,000 0.61 0.74
$20,000–34,999 0.50 0.66
$35,000–49,999 0.54 0.71
$50,000–74,999 0.57 0.84
$75,000–99,999 0.38 0.55
$100,000 or more 0.41 0.64
Missing 0.54 0.72
Incomplete test 0.10 0.09
Missing 0.73 0.89
Calculus 0.47 0.78

Community Colleges

No credit 0.71 0.74
Year 1 0.55 0.68
Year 2 0.73 1.05
Year 3 0.56 0.86
Year 4 0.42 0.64
Advanced Placement (AP) 0.27 0.47
Missing 0.24 0.23
Legitimate skip 0.30 0.28
High school diploma or less 0.31 †
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
status, control and type of institution, and academic achievement characteristics: 2004 and 2006
No post-
Academic achievement through 2-year 2-year institution 4-year institution institution institution
characteristic 2006 Total institution All Public All Public Private Total in 2006 in 2006
Total 0.60 0.71 0.11 0.56 0.55 0.84 0.63 0.49 0.38 0.32 0.26
1.50 or below 3.13 2.71 † 2.01 1.90 1.70 1.27 0.81 2.41 1.91 1.35
1.51–2.00 1.79 1.78 0.31 1.66 1.63 1.09 0.81 0.64 1.40 1.28 0.57
2.01–2.50 1.33 1.30 0.39 1.13 1.14 1.04 0.85 0.64 1.12 0.94 0.59
2.51–3.00 1.09 1.26 0.18 1.18 1.18 1.41 1.14 0.81 0.85 0.64 0.58
3.01–3.50 0.82 1.09 0.20 1.17 1.09 1.40 1.23 0.96 0.79 0.58 0.49
3.51–4.00 0.51 0.88 0.17 0.99 0.94 1.33 1.39 1.35 0.70 0.36 0.57
mathematics score
Lowest 25 percent 1.32 1.19 0.34 1.10 1.03 0.77 0.58 0.46 0.91 0.77 0.41
Lower middle quarter 1.03 1.12 0.22 1.13 1.12 1.11 0.93 0.62 0.88 0.76 0.52
Upper middle quarter 0.84 1.09 0.14 0.98 0.96 1.21 1.12 0.81 0.75 0.54 0.54
Top 25 percent 0.52 0.80 0.09 0.78 0.76 1.14 1.09 1.15 0.63 0.41 0.51
completed in high school
no mathematics coursework 2.34 1.94 0.55 1.83 1.68 0.86 0.58 0.56 1.68 1.52 0.88
Algebra I/geometry 1.34 1.21 0.34 1.10 1.10 0.81 0.61 0.53 0.94 0.81 0.50
Algebra II 1.04 1.22 0.25 1.09 1.08 1.27 1.09 0.72 0.85 0.68 0.53
Trigonometry/algebra III 1.07 1.41 0.25 1.28 1.22 1.73 1.54 0.96 0.91 0.74 0.59
Precalculus 0.71 1.07 † 1.29 1.28 1.63 1.52 1.22 0.88 0.52 0.69
Calculus 0.61 0.87 † 0.92 0.90 1.32 1.72 1.73 0.69 0.28 0.62
in high school
Low academic or no science 2.28 1.95 0.64 1.70 1.65 1.04 0.73 0.71 1.53 1.33 0.78
General biology 1.38 1.44 0.26 1.12 1.13 1.16 1.01 0.50 0.91 0.75 0.51
Chemistry I or physics I 0.91 1.11 0.20 0.94 0.92 1.29 1.09 0.75 0.71 0.61 0.41
Chemistry I and physics I 0.70 0.99 0.16 1.25 1.23 1.56 1.46 1.39 0.82 0.65 0.62
advanced biology 0.96 1.28 † 1.19 1.10 1.81 1.61 1.39 0.72 0.50 0.55
study completed in high school
No credit 1.40 1.22 0.28 1.09 1.03 0.87 0.77 0.45 0.97 0.85 0.55
Year 1 1.30 1.48 0.41 1.33 1.31 1.24 1.07 0.67 1.22 1.03 0.67
Year 2 0.88 1.09 0.15 0.93 0.92 1.31 1.15 0.65 0.70 0.57 0.45
Year 3 0.82 1.03 0.21 1.14 1.14 1.49 1.45 1.28 0.83 0.59 0.56
Year 4 0.94 1.35 † 1.23 1.22 1.87 2.08 2.04 0.99 0.65 0.67
Advanced placement (AP) 1.11 1.51 † 1.45 1.42 2.17 2.44 2.52 1.25 0.66 0.99
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and academic achievement characteristics: 2004

Academic achievement characteristic Public for-profit Public for-profit for-profit
Total 0.87 0.19 0.82 0.68 0.17
1.50 or below 8.19 4.21 6.69 3.83 3.30
1.51–2.00 3.63 1.83 2.63 1.65 1.37
2.01–2.50 1.99 0.59 1.68 1.16 0.75
2.51–3.00 1.72 0.31 1.53 1.08 0.32
3.01–3.50 1.33 0.36 1.39 1.16 0.22
3.51–4.00 1.06 0.18 1.47 1.43 0.24
Lowest 25 percent 2.02 0.91 1.56 1.03 0.74
Lower middle quarter 1.71 0.50 1.54 1.00 0.34
Upper middle quarter 1.24 0.24 1.35 1.03 0.30
Top 25 percent 0.91 0.14 1.19 1.27 0.23
high school
coursework 5.16 3.30 2.78 1.69 1.74
Algebra I/geometry 2.26 1.16 1.63 1.10 0.84
Algebra II 1.61 0.45 1.52 1.10 0.34
Trigonometry/algebra III 1.64 0.37 1.72 1.17 0.43
Precalculus 1.53 0.18 1.70 1.33 0.34
Calculus 1.00 † 1.82 1.84 0.27
Low academic or no science 4.95 2.52 2.88 1.98 1.47
General biology 2.04 0.58 1.95 0.97 0.46
Chemistry I or physics I 1.32 0.30 1.29 0.99 0.36
Chemistry I and physics I 1.49 0.23 1.61 1.57 0.26
Chemistry II or physics II or advanced biology 1.35 0.35 1.70 1.54 0.25
Highest level of foreign language study completed in
high school
No credit 2.36 1.18 2.11 1.23 0.55
Year 1 2.35 0.70 2.15 1.19 0.72
Year 2 1.32 0.28 1.31 0.87 0.29
Year 3 1.38 0.32 1.62 1.47 0.25
Year 4 1.40 0.22 2.22 2.19 0.57
Advanced placement (AP) 1.67 † 2.64 2.75 0.70
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
status, control and type of institution, and academic achievement characteristics: 1992 and 1994
No post-
Academic achievement through 2-year institution 4-year institution institution institution
characteristic 1994 Total All Public All Public Private Total in 1994 in 1994
Total 0.70 0.78 0.61 0.61 0.82 0.62 0.60 0.54 0.41 0.40
mathematics score
Lowest 25 percent 1.59 1.35 1.21 1.19 0.74 0.66 0.37 1.35 0.95 0.51
Lower middle quarter 1.45 1.58 1.59 1.60 1.05 0.88 0.63 1.11 0.84 0.72
Upper middle quarter 1.01 1.32 1.08 1.02 1.36 1.15 0.91 1.25 1.01 0.94
Top 25 percent 0.72 1.19 0.82 0.82 1.40 1.38 1.46 0.94 0.66 0.73
completed in high school
no mathematics coursework 1.72 1.45 1.35 1.31 0.58 0.50 0.31 1.39 0.94 0.52
Algebra I/geometry 1.44 1.32 1.19 1.16 0.80 0.68 0.46 1.16 0.91 0.81
Algebra II 1.10 1.42 1.45 1.45 1.28 1.09 0.79 1.23 0.88 0.98
Trigonometry/algebra III 1.09 1.44 1.57 1.55 1.81 1.62 1.18 1.14 0.88 0.84
Precalculus 1.04 1.63 1.07 1.06 1.96 2.15 2.15 1.44 0.85 1.17
Calculus 0.69 1.60 0.89 0.85 1.83 2.33 2.69 1.48 1.10 0.99
in high school
Low academic or no science 2.20 1.95 1.61 1.60 1.10 0.95 0.55 1.71 1.26 0.50
General biology 1.18 1.26 1.13 1.15 1.03 0.87 0.47 0.86 0.75 0.59
Chemistry I or physics I 0.96 1.39 1.27 1.26 1.42 1.27 0.86 1.16 0.85 0.93
Chemistry I and physics I 1.10 1.61 1.22 1.22 1.91 2.05 2.19 1.38 1.09 0.96
advanced biology 1.17 1.58 1.10 1.08 1.95 1.82 1.99 1.22 0.64 0.98
study completed in high school
No credit 1.41 1.43 1.11 1.10 0.87 0.78 0.41 1.11 0.78 0.62
Year 1 1.59 1.59 1.41 1.39 1.18 1.03 0.62 1.17 0.98 0.67
Year 2 0.82 1.20 1.24 1.24 1.21 1.10 0.74 0.99 0.81 0.70
Year 3 1.10 1.92 1.26 1.23 2.19 1.88 2.21 1.66 0.86 1.50
Year 4 1.11 2.02 1.27 1.24 2.22 2.56 2.82 1.71 1.18 1.47
Advanced Placement (AP) 1.09 2.64 1.33 1.26 2.98 3.46 3.47 2.48 2.03 1.55

Community Colleges
postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and academic achievement characteristics: 1992

Academic achievement characteristic Public for-profit Public for-profit
Total 1.12 0.19 1.07 1.03
Lowest 25 percent 2.74 1.21 2.16 1.25
Lower middle quarter 2.62 0.62 2.04 1.43
Upper middle quarter 1.71 0.40 1.77 1.49
Top 25 percent 1.08 0.11 1.71 1.75
high school
coursework 3.05 1.89 2.07 1.33
Algebra I/geometry 2.25 0.64 1.87 1.32
Algebra II 2.22 0.26 1.89 1.37
Trigonometry/algebra III 2.14 0.51 2.14 1.58
Precalculus 1.39 † 2.57 2.62
Calculus 1.03 † 2.84 2.98
Low academic or no science 3.44 1.04 3.00 1.99
General biology 2.36 0.51 2.01 1.16
Chemistry I or physics I 1.85 0.36 1.79 1.30
Chemistry I and physics I 1.58 0.18 2.55 2.69
Chemistry II or physics II or advanced biology 1.46 0.25 2.29 2.37
Highest level of foreign language study completed
in high school
No credit 2.57 0.89 2.20 1.36
Year 1 2.45 0.64 2.23 1.30
Year 2 1.80 0.26 1.71 1.14
Year 3 1.73 0.22 2.48 2.72
Year 4 1.57 0.28 3.20 3.30
Advanced Placement (AP) 1.49 † 3.73 3.80
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
Table SSA-20. Standard errors for the percentage distribution of immediate enrollees in a postsecondary institution in fall 1994, by control and type of
institution and selected academic achievement characteristics
In 4-year institution
Academic achievement characteristic All Community college Public Private not-for-profit
Total 35,400 16,800 19,300 17,000
2.5 or below † † † †
Above 2.5 † † † †
12th-grade standardized mathematics score ELS
Bottom half 1.09 1.94 1.08 1.34
Top half 1.09 1.94 1.08 1.34
More advanced than Algebra II 1.11 1.66 1.27 1.81
Highest level of foreign language study completed in high school2
Year 2 or below 1.42 1.29 1.80 2.41
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
status, control and type of institution, and educational plans and expectations: 2004 and 2006
No post-
education Less-than- 2-year In 2-year In 4-year
Plans and expectations 2006 Total institution All Public All Public Private Total in 2006 in 2006
Total 0.60 0.71 0.11 0.56 0.55 0.84 0.63 0.49 0.38 0.32 0.26
Plan to get postsecondary education 0.55 0.69 0.11 0.58 0.57 0.86 0.65 0.52 0.41 2.73 0.27
Vocational, technical, or trade
school 2.12 1.94 0.89 1.80 1.62 0.88 0.55 0.68 1.54 1.33 0.84
2-year community college 1.17 1.21 0.26 1.23 1.20 0.54 0.41 0.36 0.94 0.82 0.38
4-year college or university 0.45 0.66 0.07 0.56 0.55 0.85 0.78 0.67 0.44 0.32 0.33
Don’t plan to continue 3.76 2.55 † 2.52 2.33 † † † 2.92 2.73 †
Don’t know or unspecified plans 2.29 1.89 0.52 1.52 1.49 0.88 0.84 0.29 1.64 1.33 0.94
Don’t know 1.91 1.89 0.31 1.59 1.56 1.37 1.04 0.82 1.44 1.24 0.76
High school diploma or less 2.10 1.55 0.61 1.24 1.19 0.67 0.67 † 1.65 1.24 0.97
Obtain graduate degree 0.53 0.71 0.09 0.73 0.72 1.00 0.97 0.91 0.51 0.41 0.39
Don’t know 2.07 2.05 0.56 1.80 † 1.68 1.29 1.05 1.72 1.48 0.76
Obtain graduate degree 0.44 0.71 0.10 0.73 0.74 0.97 0.89 0.86 0.60 0.43 0.42
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and educational plans and expectations: 2004

Total 0.87 0.19 0.82 0.68 0.17
Vocational, technical, or trade school 4.50 3.76 1.90 1.12 1.89
2-year community college 1.24 0.45 0.84 0.51 0.55
4-year college or university 0.71 0.11 0.86 0.80 0.16
Don’t plan to continue 16.07 † † † †
Don’t know or unspecified plans 4.76 1.43 3.99 1.21 †
Highest educational attainment expected in 2004
(when in 12th-grade)
Don’t know 3.48 1.32 2.78 2.31 1.10
High school diploma or less 8.41 † 6.81 † †
Obtain graduate degree 0.88 0.08 1.07 1.07 0.18
later (2006)
Don’t know 3.29 1.32 2.68 2.05 1.03
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
status, control and type of institution, and educational plans and expectations: 1992 and 1994
No post-
education 2-year In 2-year In 4-year
through institution 4-year institution institution institution
Plans and expectations 1994 Total All Public All Public Private Total in 1994 in 1994
Total 0.70 0.78 0.61 0.61 0.82 0.62 0.60 0.54 0.41 0.40
Plan to get postsecondary education 0.59 0.78 0.75 0.75 0.95 0.81 0.75 0.64 0.47 0.51
Don’t plan to continue 1.55 1.16 0.91 0.77 0.63 0.44 0.44 1.29 0.97 0.51
Don’t know or unspecified plans 2.75 2.13 1.68 1.64 1.52 1.17 1.01 2.47 2.31 0.96
Don’t know 2.80 2.87 2.23 1.78 1.81 1.43 1.19 2.30 1.99 0.97
High school diploma or less 1.80 1.04 0.95 0.92 0.40 0.39 † 1.59 1.47 0.22
Don’t know 4.20 3.88 2.90 2.80 2.45 2.08 1.39 3.01 2.13 1.48
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution and educational plans and expectations: 1992

Total 1.12 0.19 1.07 1.03 0.12
Don’t plan to continue 4.74 2.09 2.88 2.89 0.50
Don’t know or unspecified plans 5.55 1.71 4.84 4.35 †
12th-grade (1992)
Don’t know 5.21 1.01 4.14 3.63 †
High school diploma or less 10.03 5.50 7.84 † †
Attend or complete 2-year college/school 3.50 2.26 2.33 0.74 1.44
later (1994)
Don’t know 7.46 3.04 6.14 4.33 †
Attend or complete 2-year college/school 2.40 1.39 1.40 1.16 †
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
Table SSA-25. Standard errors for the percentage of 2003–04 beginning postsecondary students who in 2006 were still enrolled and/or had completed a
degree or certificate program at any postsecondary institution, by control and type of institution, program plans, and attendance status
Total who either Completed a degree or certificate

completed program No degree or certificate earned yet
a degree or Still enrolled at No longer enrolled Still enrolled at No longer enrolled
Control and type of institution, certificate or are a postsecondary at a postsecondary a postsecondary at a postsecondary
program plans, and attendance status still enrolled institution institution institution institution
All 0.57 0.34 0.34 0.58 0.57
Control and type of institution in which first
enrolled in 2003–04
Public 2-year 0.99 0.54 0.46 1.05 0.99
Public 4-year 0.81 0.32 0.28 0.98 0.81
Private not-for-profit 4-year 1.26 1.38 0.45 2.21 1.26
Private for-profit 4-year 1.59 1.14 1.81 1.41 1.59
Private not-for-profit less-than-4-year 4.77 4.33 5.18 4.70 4.77
Among first-time community college students

Program plans
4-year transfer intentions 1.34 0.86 0.31 1.46 1.34
Associate’s degree program 1.47 0.75 0.75 1.41 1.47
Certificate intentions 3.74 3.00 2.47 2.67 3.74
No degree intentions 4.09 1.05 1.63 4.36 4.09
Full-time always 1.69 1.09 0.83 1.88 1.69
Part-time always 1.90 0.60 0.72 1.70 1.90
Mixed full- and part-time 1.23 0.87 0.55 1.36 1.23

Community Colleges
Table S2. Standard errors for table 2: Percentage distribution of immediate enrollees in postsecondary institutions in fall 2004, by selected academic
achievement characteristics and control and type of institution
In 4-year institution
Community Private not-
Academic achievement characteristic All college Public for-profit
Total 38,500 19,400 22,300 15,900
2.5 or below 0.67 1.48 0.70 0.91
Above 2.5 0.67 1.48 0.70 0.91
Bottom half 0.89 1.43 1.00 1.42
Top half 0.89 1.43 1.00 1.42
More advanced than algebra II 0.99 1.44 1.12 1.56
Year 2 or below 1.25 1.34 1.52 1.96

Community Colleges
Table S3. Standard errors for table 3: Percentage distribution of 2004 and 1992 seniors who enrolled immediately after high school in a community
college, by their educational plans and expectations as seniors and 2 years later
Highest educational attainment expected when asked

2 years later
Attend or Attend or Obtain
Don’t complete complete graduate
Plans and expectations Total All know 2-year college 4-year college degree

12th-grade (2004) †
Don’t know 0.67 † 3.78 3.90 4.37 3.63
High school diploma or less 0.30 † 8.16 10.33 10.39 6.23
Attend or complete 2-year college 1.09 † 2.08 2.93 2.98 1.54
Obtain graduate degree 1.17 † 1.07 1.30 2.44 2.43

12th-grade (1992) †
Don’t know 0.59 † † 5.11 6.36 5.58
High school diploma or less 0.30 † † 14.81 14.49 14.88
Obtain graduate degree 1.84 † † 2.66 4.69 3.98
† Not applicable.

Community Colleges
Figure S11. Standard errors for figure 11: Percentage of community college students reporting various reasons for enrolling in a community college:
Academic year 2003–04
Reason for enrollment Percent

Transfer to a 4-year institution 0.7
Transfer to another college 0.3
Complete an associate’s degree 0.5
Complete certificate 0.4
Obtaining job skills 0.6
Personal interest 0.5
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003–04 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04)
Figure S15. Standard errors for figure 15: Percentage of 2004 seniors who enrolled immediately in a community college after high school, by race/ethnicity
and socioeconomic status: 2004
Race/ethnicity Lowest 25 percent Highest 25 percent

White 2.8 1.1
Black 3.9 4.0
Hispanic 4.3 4.9

Ed 502349

Uploaded by

Document Informationclick to expand document information

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ed 502349

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ed 502349

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Community Colleges

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Statistical Analysis Report

Institute of Education Sciences

National Center for Education Statistics

National Center for Education Statistics

The NCES World Wide Web Home Page address is http://nces.ed.gov.

For ordering information on this report, write to

U.S. Department of Education

or call toll free 1-877-4ED-PUBS or order online at http://www.edpubs.org.

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page iii

Executive Summary.................................................................................................................... iii

Section 1. Institutional Characteristics ........................................................................................ 2

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page v

Page vi | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page vii

List of Figures and Exhibit

Page viii | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

INTRODUCTION  How do state community college systems

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page 1

Page 2 | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page 3

City Suburban Town Rural

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

5,000 Community college

Page 4 | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page 5

Page 6 | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Control and type of

0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000

3,000 Community college

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page 7

165 percent (a $3,540 increase), and by 133 Faculty

Page 8 | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page 9

Admission Criteria remedial courses in the subjects.11 Moreover,

Page 10 | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Remedial Education 19 percent of students at public 4-year institu-

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page 11

SECTION 2. STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS community college students were 30 years old

Transfer to a 4-year institution 36

Transfer to another college 15

Complete an associate’s degree 43

Obtain job skills 42

Page 12 | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page 13

Among immediate enrollees

Page 14 | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

White Black Hispanic Asian/ American Indian/ More than

! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable).

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page 15

Among immediate enrollees

Lowest 25 percent Middle 50 percent Highest 25 percent

Page 16 | Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008

Lowest 25 percent Highest 25 percent

NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.

! Interpret data with caution (estimates are unstable).

Special Supplement to The Condition of Education 2008 | Page 17

INTRODUCTION How do state community college systems

a greater percentage had completed tive on the extent to which students—among

In 2006–07, there were 1,045 community Some 95 percent of community colleges