College Completion Reports and Return on Investment

March 28, 2014

Purpose of the Reports

• Convey a more robust picture of student success

• Focus attention on closing achievement gaps

With Completion Reports, we can…

• Track progress toward state completion goals over time

• Recognize campuses making progress and identify and scale best practices

• Clearly articulate the importance of full-time enrollment

• Evaluate the effectiveness of state financial aid policies

Key Takeaway – Expanding the Definition of Student Success

Traditional graduation rates do not fully capture all forms of student success

Incorporating transfer students and those that change degree type adds:– 8% to the success rate of 2-year college entrants– 13% to the success rate of 4-year college entrants

Key Takeaways - CompletionOn-time completion is the exception, not the rule

– 75 percent of community college students that complete an associate degree do so in 3-6 years

– Half of 4-year college students that complete a bachelor’s degree do so in 5-8 years

Full-time success rates are significantly higher than part-time– FT students are 1.5 times more likely to complete an associate

degree within 6 years– FT students are 6 times more likely to complete a bachelor’s

degree within 8 years

Key Takeaways – Achievement GapsRacial/Ethnic achievement gaps are substantial (even with the broader definition)– At 2-year campuses, there is a 24 percentage point gap in

completion rates– At 4-year campuses, the gap is 31 points– Even the campus with the smallest gap still sees a 16 point gap

Income-based gaps do not follow the same pattern– At 2-year campuses, 21st Century Scholars nearly match and Frank

O’Bannon recipients outperform the general population– At 4-year campuses, gaps are wider with O’Bannon recipients

falling 2 points behind the general population and 21st Century Scholars falling 16 points behind

Key Takeaways - CostThe cost to produce a degree in this state varies as expected for 2-year and 4-year schools, but is fairly consistent among peer institutions– The overall expenditure per completion for

students at 2-year institutions is $31,369– The overall expenditure per completion for

students at 4-year institutions is $61,208

Return on Investment Reports• State-level (4-year and 2-year) and college-level

reports• Data relating to:– Cost of college– Student debt– Most popular programs– Average salary after 1, 5 and 10 years– Top industries of employment after 1 year

• Return on investment is $2 or more for every dollar invested – and it grows over time