The United States is addressing unprecedented economic challenges, and community colleges have been identified by the federal government as part of the solution (Lothian, 2009). Unparalleled federal support to community colleges provides these institutions with a tremendous opportunity to influence the trajectory of the country's economy through workforce development and increased educational attainment. As community college leaders and practitioners prepare to reach President Obama's goal of graduating 5 million more Americans from community colleges by 2020 (Obama, 2009), the research literature can provide insight into what is known about factors influencing student success and the promising interventions to address them. What student characteristics influence their academic success? What institutional factors shape student retention, persistence and educational attainment? What does the literature say about promising interventions? Armed with such foundational knowledge, community colleges can craft informed blueprints tailored to the unique needs of their students. (Contains 2 footnotes.)