This observational, quantitative longitudinal study examined the retention gap among students studying exclusively online and those studying on-campus and compared variables related to outcomes and the completion rates of students at one private, non-profit, four-year university Master of Public Health Program (MPH) in the Midwest. It was unknown…

Nontraditional student-parents compose approximately one-quarter of the student body on college and university campuses. Student-parents face unique challenges, have unique needs, and graduate at lower rates than other nontraditional students. Yet many campuses, like the local study site, focus support on traditional students. The purpose of this…

For years Georgia's HOPE Scholarship program provided full tuition scholarships to high-achieving students. State budgetary shortfalls reduced its generosity in 2011. Under the new rules, only students meeting more rigorous merit-based criteria would retain the original scholarship covering full tuition, now called the Zell Miller Scholarship,…

Community colleges provide postsecondary education to millions of students in the United States each year, but their graduation rates are low. Many community colleges have implemented interventions to help students persist in college and earn degrees. MDRC has studied many such interventions; several of them improved students' academic outcomes,…

Through the convergence of collaborative efforts of Stark schools and their partners, significant progress was made toward three high-level objectives: high school graduation, college-going rates and degree attainment. This report provides statistics for Stark County's progress.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact early college high school, and dual credit programs had on students grade point average, the number of college credits earned, persistence rates, and completion rates at a central Texas community college. The researcher used a non-experimental quantitative study, with secondary non-identifying…

"Educating for Purposeful Life" documents positive change within the Anaheim Union High School District, whose overarching mission is to prepare high school graduates who possess a clear sense of purpose and the capacity to achieve their goals. Superintendent Michael Matsuda and education consultant David Brazer lay out the district's…

Non-traditional students disproportionately enroll in institutions with weaker graduation and earnings outcomes. One hypothesis is that these students would have made different choices had they been provided with better information or supports during the decision-making process. We conducted a large-scale, multi-arm field experiment with the U.S.…

In a time when student persistence, retention, and graduation rates are being examined, academic advisors are being called upon to evaluate their interactions with students throughout their academic journey toward a meaningful career. This chapter addresses how integrating academic and career advising may benefit students in the current higher…

This systematic review identifies factors that prior studies have identified as supporting the academic success of Latinx transfer students, who matriculate at 2-year institutions with respect to earning a 4-year baccalaureate degree in a STEM field. Since the students matriculate at a 2-year institution, they must, at some point in their academic…

Since 1988, 27 states have introduced No Pass, No Drive laws, which tie a teenager's ability to receive and maintain a driver's license to various school-related outcomes--most commonly, enrollment and attendance. Enrollment-Based No Pass, No Drive policies, in 21 states, target both enrollment and attendance, and have negligible effects on…

Growing reliance on student loans and repayment difficulties have raised concerns of a student debt crisis in the United States. However, little is known about the effects of student borrowing on human capital and long-run financial well-being. We use variation induced by recent expansions in federal loan limits, together with administrative…

College students who are simultaneously the first generation of their families to attend college, from poor communities, and who belong to racially minoritized populations, known as first-generation low-income (FLI) college students of Color, are less likely to stay in and graduate from college compared to their more advantaged peers. As this…

Policymakers in Texas want to understand the funding levels necessary for community colleges to meet their promise of providing an affordable and accessible pathway to a postsecondary certificate or degree. This study was conducted to help these policymakers better understand the extent to which Texas community colleges had adequate funding to…

This report presents a broad overview of data on the education of Black students in the United States in early childhood, K-12, and postsecondary education. The data clearly show disparities in outcomes for Black students' graduation rates, test scores, course completion, and many other measures, when compared with national averages and other…