Community College Effects: Evidence of Diversionary Effects and the Role of Methodological Choice

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Education and Jobs: New Perspectives on Educational Attainment

Abstract

For decades, scholars have highlighted the diversionary effects community college entrance appears to have on baccalaureate aspirations. To our knowledge, no prior study has conducted a meta-analysis of the diversionary effects literature, nor do prior systematic reviews highlight the role that methodological choices, including sample restrictions and identification strategies, play in estimated effects. In this study, we use both systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the average effects of community college entrance on bachelor’s degree attainment and test the role of moderators—like methodological choices—on results. We find that entering higher education through a community college decreases the probability of baccalaureate attainment by 12-16 percentage points, depending on our analytic sample, and that methodological choices significantly influence effects.

Authors

• Lauren Schudde, The University of Texas - Austin

• Raymond Brown, The University of Texas - Austin