Publications

This report uses student survey and interview data from four California colleges to examine how first-generation college students build relationships and use support networks on- and off-campus to address academic and nonacademic challenges in the first year of college.

Through an analysis of longitudinal student data from four states, this brief introduces a set of metrics predictive of subsequent postsecondary progress that educators can use as momentum indicators for dual enrollment program improvement.

This report examines why some students still struggle in reformed developmental education contexts, considers strategies for improving their experiences and outcomes, and reports on innovations under development at four community colleges participating in a Community of Practice.

This journal article examines how community colleges distributed and utilized Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) funding through analysis of nationwide expenditure data from 976 colleges and survey responses from 170 colleges across six states.

Drawing on more than a decade of data, this report examines earnings returns for CUNY community college associate degree program entrants, showing substantial long-run gains from degree completion and distinguishing between terminal associate degree completion and pathways involving bachelor’s attainment.

Based on a review of relevant literature and interviews with experts and administrators, this report discusses how federal policy aims are addressed by AE ESL providers and the distinct role that community colleges play in delivering AE ESL programming.

Using administrative data tracking Federal Work Study (FWS) offers, enrollment, and participation from the date of application, this working paper studies the causal impacts of receiving an FWS offer at a large public college system, including both two- and four-year campuses.

This guide introduces the Community College Program Mapper—an Excel-based data tool that helps colleges identify where students lack clear, goal-aligned plans and take action to strengthen pathways to post-completion success.

Based on survey and interview data from first-generation students who stopped out of four colleges in California, this brief examines students’ reasons for leaving, the role their social networks played in informing or supporting their decision, and how they thought about their futures—including the possibility of reenrollment.

This brief introduces an inventory of advanced infrastructure, energy, and agriculture (AIREA) jobs and identifies regions with well-aligned job demand and credential production to help policymakers support community and technical colleges in developing and expanding programs where trained workers are needed most.

Based on findings from a study examining the policies and practices impacting multilingual learners (MLs) at City Colleges of Chicago, this report provides insights for community college practitioners and policymakers on the goals and backgrounds of MLs, their experiences, and promising approaches to serving this population.

In this updated fact sheet, CCRC offers a short primer on the multiple missions of community colleges, what kinds of students they enroll, what outcomes they produce, and some of the major issues they face.

This updated fact sheet describes the growth of dual enrollment, the various models and funding mechanisms, and steps colleges and high schools can take to make dual enrollment more equitable.

This new fact sheet describes community college baccalaureate programs in relation to bachelor's programs offered by four-year colleges, demographic characteristics and earnings of graduates, and considerations for program improvement.

Drawing on 107 sources, this paper discusses the backgrounds and experiences of students and instructors in adult education ESL programs as well as institutional practices, curriculum and pedagogy, and policy contexts relevant to the programs.

This report describes how placement processes, departmental structures, ESL course sequences, and instructional models at five CUNY community colleges shape learners’ access to and experiences in corequisite or standalone college-level English courses.

CCRC’s 2024–2026 Biennial Report highlights major findings from the center’s recent research, including new measures of community college progress and emerging areas of study. It showcases how CCRC’s work is informing policy and practice nationwide and reflects on the center’s 30-year history. The report also includes research snapshots, outreach statistics, and a financial overview.

This book chapter describes how state funding formulas, enrollment declines, and federal recovery investments during the COVID-19 pandemic intersect to shape future prospects for community college revenues and spending patterns.

This updated fact sheet outlines challenges in supporting successful student transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions and considerations for improving the transfer process.

This practice guide builds on the work of colleges in the Unlocking Opportunity Network by offering practical strategies that can help more students graduate with credentials that lead directly to good jobs or transfer and successful attainment of a bachelor’s degree.