Readability and Higher Education Access: Exploring Community College Admissions Information on Websites

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 5:10 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Higher Education Reimagined: Technology and Institutional Characteristics in the 21st Century (Table 13)

Abstract

Community college practitioners, specifically those working in admissions and enrollment management should ensure that admissions instructions are simple enough so that students can read and comprehend how to apply for admission to community college. However, research at the four-year institutional level has found that admissions information for prospective students is complex, often written above the 14th grade English reading comprehension level. Here, this study gathered admissions application instructions from 949 community colleges in the United States to evaluate the grade-level readability of these instructions. Results suggest the average readability level of community college admissions information is near the 14th grade level, with negligible differences between institutional sectors. Implications for practice and community college student access are addressed.

Author

• Zach Taylor, University of Southern Mississippi