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Can Community Colleges Afford to Improve Completion? Measuring the Costs and Efficiency Effects of College Reforms

By Clive Belfield, Peter M. Crosta & Davis Jenkins
Community colleges are under pressure to increase completion rates and efficiency despite limited evidence of the economic consequences of different reform strategies. This paper introduces an economic model of student course pathways linked to college expenditures and revenues. Using detailed data from a single college, the authors calculate baseline efficiency and differences in efficiency for students who follow different pathways. They also simulate changes in output, expenditures, revenues, net revenues, and efficiency assuming that the college meets particular performance targets. Results indicate substantial differences in efficiency across pathways and significant differences in efficiency across strategies to help students complete college. Findings also suggest that increasing the completion rate is difficult and typically requires additional resources beyond the costs of implementing particular strategies. The model has wide practical application for community colleges. A version of this article appears in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, vol. 36, no. 3.
Download CCRC Working Paper No. 55
April 2013
View article (subscription may be required)
September 2014
  • Research and Tools for Redesigning Community College Programs for Completion

Related Publications

April 2016

Is Corequisite Remediation Cost-Effective? Early Findings From Tennessee

June 2015

Efficiency Gains in Community Colleges: Two Areas for Further Investigation

May 2014

Can Community Colleges Continue to Do More With Less?

Additional Resources

For more policy briefs and fact sheets, visit CCRC’s Policy Resources page.

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