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The effect of community college enrollment on bachelor's degree completion

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  • Doyle, William R.

Abstract

Rouse [Rouse, C. E. (1995). Democratization or diversion--the effect of community-colleges on educational-attainment. Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, 13(2), 217-224] finds that enrollment in a community college may divert students from attaining a bachelor's degree. However, this result may be due to selection bias, as the population of community college students should be quite different from those who attend 4-year institutions in terms of both observable and unobservable characteristics. This study uses propensity score matching to non-parametrically balance a data set from the 1996 Beginning Postsecondary Students survey in order to overcome issues associated with selection bias. Results from a Cox proportional hazards model indicate that attendance at a community college lowers the hazard rate for completing a bachelor's degree. The results are consistent with previous studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Doyle, William R., 2009. "The effect of community college enrollment on bachelor's degree completion," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 199-206, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:28:y:2009:i:2:p:199-206
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lovenoor Aulck & Jevin West, 2017. "Attrition and performance of community college transfers," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(4), pages 1-23, April.
    2. Darshak Patel & Christopher Jepsen, 2018. "Hazard Model Analysis of Community College Outcomes," Working Papers 201823, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    3. Manuel S. González Canché, 2017. "Financial Benefits of Rapid Student Loan Repayment: An Analytic Framework Employing Two Decades of Data," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 671(1), pages 154-182, May.
    4. Soo-yong Byun & Judith L. Meece & Charlotte A. Agger, 2017. "Predictors of College Attendance Patterns of Rural Youth," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 58(8), pages 817-842, December.
    5. Doyle, William R., 2011. "Effect of increased academic momentum on transfer rates: An application of the generalized propensity score," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 191-200, February.
    6. George Spencer, 2019. "Can Transfer Guides Improve the Uptake of Major Prerequisites? Evidence from Ohio’s Transfer and Articulation Policy Reform," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 60(4), pages 458-484, June.
    7. Chudgar, Amita & Quin, Elizabeth, 2012. "Relationship between private schooling and achievement: Results from rural and urban India," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 376-390.
    8. Welch, Jilleah G., 2014. "HOPE for community college students: The impact of merit aid on persistence, graduation, and earnings," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 1-20.
    9. Ron Zimmer & Brian Gill & Jonathon Attridge & Kaitlin Obenauf, 2014. "Charter School Authorizers and Student Achievement," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 9(1), pages 59-85, January.
    10. Jepsen, Christopher & Montgomery, Mark, 2012. "Back to school: An application of human capital theory for mature workers," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 168-178.
    11. Maurice Shirley & Amanda Olsen & Sehee Kim & Michelle Dimino & Mehmet Kaplan, 2023. "Heading in the Right Direction? Examining the Relationship of Transfer Patterns and Income Status on College Student Outcomes," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 64(6), pages 808-833, September.
    12. Manuel S. González Canché, 2020. "Community College Students Who Attained a 4-Year Degree Accrued Lower Student Loan Debt than 4-Year Entrants Over 2 Decades: Is a 10 Percent Debt Accumulation Reduction Worth the Added “Risk”? If So, ," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 61(7), pages 871-915, November.
    13. Jungmin Lee & Frank Fernandez & Hyun Kyoung Ro & Hongwook Suh, 2022. "Does Dual Enrollment Influence High School Graduation, College Enrollment, Choice, and Persistence?," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 63(5), pages 825-848, August.
    14. Angela Boatman & Adela Soliz, 2018. "Statewide Transfer Policies and Community College Student Success," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 13(4), pages 449-483, Fall.
    15. Kim, Sie Won, 2023. "The effect of promoting access to community colleges on educational and labor market outcomes," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    16. Taylor Delaney, 2024. "2-Year or Not 2-Year? The Impact of Starting at Community College on Bachelor’s Degree Attainment," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 65(8), pages 1717-1746, December.
    17. Zeidenberg, Matthew & Scott, Marc & Belfield, Clive, 2015. "What about the non-completers? The labor market returns to progress in community college," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 142-156.
    18. Peter Arcidiacono & Michael Lovenheim, 2016. "Affirmative Action and the Quality-Fit Trade-Off," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 54(1), pages 3-51, March.
    19. Nguyen, Hieu, 2020. "Free college? Assessing enrollment responses to the Tennessee Promise program," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    20. Lockwood Reynolds, C., 2012. "Where to attend? Estimating the effects of beginning college at a two-year institution," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 345-362.
    21. Diane Cárdenas Elliott & Joni M. Lakin, 2020. "Running the STEM Gauntlet: The Complicity of Four-Year Universities in the Transfer Penalty," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 61(4), pages 540-565, June.

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