Copyright© 2007 by School Services of California, Inc.

                                      Volume 20                   For Publication Date: June 8, 2007             No. 13

New Study Examines California Community
College Transfer Rates 

With low fees and open admissions, California community colleges not only provide access to many students, they enroll close to two-thirds of all California college students and nearly one-fourth of all community college students in the nation. 

California community colleges, through transfer, have become the pathway for access to four-year institutions. Yet recent reports have indicated that transfer rates for California students who enroll in community colleges are relatively low. This may not be the case, depending on how the data is calculated. According to a new study by MPR Associates of Berkeley, CA. Titled California Community College Transfer Rates: Who is Counted Makes a Difference, the report takes a look at the outcomes and experiences of California community college students. The research was funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, focuses primarily on transfer students.   

Specifically, the report examines transfer rates in the context of different course-taking patterns and illustrates how rates have changed over time. Data for the study was derived from the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges Management Information System (COMIS). Researchers found that “while transfer rates in California are low in comparison to national rates, [they] can vary dramatically depending on the target population and the denominator. Moreover, just which rate should be used depends on what is being measured and from what perspective.”   

Go to www.mprinc.com/products_and_publications/pdf/horn_ccc.pdf for a copy of the report.

—Jamillah Moore, Ed.D.