Completion rates for community college students are hard to measure because students enroll for many reasons besides earning a degree, certificate, or transferring. The Hewlett Foundation is interested in understanding how a broad population of community college “degree-seekers” fares in college, because its efforts are intended to support increasing students’ college aspirations as well as their college success. Therefore, degree-seekers are identified by their stated goals as well as other degree-seeking criteria such as age and coursework. In their accountability reporting for the state of California, colleges report success rates of a smaller cohort of students, who show “intent to complete” by reaching defined coursework milestones.¹ This rate is called “Student Progress and Achievement.”

¹ For a detailed analysis and discussion see Horn and Lew (2007).

Community College Completion

• Completion in six years

Community College Accountability Indicator

• Student Progress and Achievement Rate

Community College Completion Details

• Type of completion among all degree-seekers

• Type of completion among recent high school graduates who are degree-seekers

• Total completion by race/ethnicity

• Total completion by gender

• Total completion by attendance status in first term

• Total completion by low-income status

• Total completion, by Pell Grant status

• Total completion, by basic skills status

• Type of completion, by basic skills status

• Completion of 12 units, by basic skills status

Interim Milestones for Non-completers

• Progress among degree-seekers who did not complete within six years