Community college bachelor's program can help close the Latino higher education gap
Community college bachelor’s programs can help close the higher education gap among Latino students, according to a UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute report.
Community college bachelor’s programs may play a major role in closing the higher education gap for Latino students, according to a report UCLA published Tuesday.
Since 2014, only a handful of California’s community colleges have been approved to offer two-year bachelor’s degree programs. For Latinos who were able to complete the program, the degree can be life-changing in terms of educational attainment and financial stability, according to the new UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute study.
The UCLA institute examined data from students enrolled in the first five cohorts, or groups, of California’s inaugural community college baccalaureate, or CCB, programs and surveyed graduates to study certain postgraduate outcomes.
West Los Angeles College in Culver City, Calif., is one of several community colleges in the state that offers a two-year bachelor's degree program. Google MapsAbout 64% of all Latino students who enrolled in CCB programs graduated within two years of enrollment — similar to the 68% of non-Latino students who graduated. The report also found fewer Latino CCB graduates had to take out student loans to fund their educations, 35%, compared to 46% of all California college graduates.
The community college bachelor's degrees also led to higher financial outcomes. Latino CCB graduates reported earning over $22,600 more per year on average than they did before the program. They also boasted higher rates of employment compared to non-Latino CCB graduates.
Rating: 5