Credentials Awarded Per 100 High School Graduates 3 and 6 Years Earlier
Why are these measures important?
These are measures of associate degree production in relation to the number of high school graduates three years earlier and bachelor's degree production in relation to the number of high school graduates six years earlier. These measures account for both college-going directly after high school and persistence through college.
What are the policy issues associated with them?
States that have high values on these measures award high proportions of degrees - associate and bachelor's in relation to the number of high school graduates three and six years earlier. Low college-going rates affect both of these measures negatively. Also, it is very possible for states to perform well on the measure for associate degrees and poorly on the measure for bachelor's degrees - and vice versa. For example, some states have two-year systems that have high proportions of vocational and technical degree programs while other states' two-year systems are comprised predominately of programs with high transfer functions - with many students transferring before earning associate degrees. Also, states with relatively few numbers of lower division students enrolled in four-year institutions must have high rates of transfer from two to four-year institutions in order to perform well on the “number of bachelor's degrees awarded per 100 high school graduates six years earlier”. States can perform better on this measure by importing relatively large numbers of students who get degrees at in-state institutions.
What other factors should you consider?
Retention Rates - First-Time College Freshmen Returning Their Second Year
Graduation Rates
Ratio of Degrees and Credentials Awarded to the Number of Students Enrolled
2001 Completions by State, Sector, Level, Race, and Gender
Data Sources/Related Links
http://www.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
http://www.wiche.edu
