The Mixed Methods Blog

Perspectives from our researchers, highlights from recent studies, and other news about CCRC

New Federal Transfer Data: Which Colleges Are Serving Community Colleges Transfers Best?

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The U.S. Department of Education recently released data on community college student transfer and outcomes. What do the data reveal about how well colleges and universities are serving community college transfer students? This post highlights three major takeaways from the data.

Introducing DEEP: A Research-Based Framework for Broadening the Benefits of Dual Enrollment

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A new approach to dual enrollment encourages community colleges to partner with middle and high schools to motivate and prepare underserved students to pursue a postsecondary degree in a field of interest directly after high school.

Community Colleges Are Key Players in Strengthening the Humanities

A smiling girl holding books in a library.

While commentary on the dire state of the humanities in higher education continues, the role that community colleges might play in helping put students on the humanities track has been largely overlooked. How might community colleges strengthen their humanities offerings, and working with their four-year partners, better propel more of their students to successful transfer in the humanities?

How Can Community Colleges Afford to Offer Dual Enrollment College Courses to High School Students at a Discount?

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Many community colleges offer dual enrollment courses at a lower tuition rate than is paid by post-high school students. But—as dual enrollment students have come to comprise a larger share of community college enrollments—can colleges afford to continue offering these courses at a discount? Clive Belfield, Davis Jenkins, and John Fink consider how community colleges can structure their programs to be more efficient and financially sustainable.

What Happened to Community College Enrollment During the First Years of the Pandemic? It Depends on the Students’ Age

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For the first time following the pandemic, we can examine detailed state- and college-level enrollment trends by age group using the latest federal data. Senior Research Associate and Program Lead John Fink examines these numbers and offers three major takeaways on how community college enrollment changed during the pandemic.