Publications

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.