ABSTRACT
Community colleges are a primary gateway to postsecondary education, especially for graduates from low socioeconomic high schools. American Association of Community Colleges data shows that community colleges educate more than 12 million students each year. Of the students pursuing higher education in the United States, roughly 40% of first-year students start in community colleges. The average age of a community college student is 27. The retention rate is the percentage of students who return to the same institution. Persistence rates are higher than retention rates for community college students. New measures of calculating transfer now focus on the community college’s unique profiles and its student populations. Lichtenberger and Dietrich found that while community college attendance can extend the time to degree, it has little bearing on bachelor’s degree completion after six years of enrollment. The faculty’s racial and ethnic profile does not parallel that of the student body enrolled, but the profiles of noninstructional staff numbers are approaching equity.
