Impact of Community College Pathways on Social Mobility in the United State
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajet.v4i4.6044Keywords:
Community College, Economic Opportunity, Educational Pathways, Postsecondary Access, Social Mobility, Student OutcomesAbstract
This study investigates the relationship between community college attendance and social mobility outcomes in the United States. This paper presents a systematic review of empirical evidence on community college pathways and social mobility that elucidates the conditions under which two-year institutions are effective in fostering upward socioeconomic mobility. This paper synthesizes findings from a variety of earlier empirical studies, including transfer pathway efficacy, labor market returns to associate degrees, and stratification in searching across outcomes. The study shows that though two-year schools with open-access policies enroll 40 percent of all undergraduates, just 16 percent who start at a community college go on to transfer and earn bachelor’s degrees (below four-year entrants by 15 percentage points). At the same time, associate degrees offer sizeable returns of $4,640-$7,160 per year in earnings Vs. Non-completers that increase over the lifetime years. Other findings from the paper were that socioeconomic stratification is still very evident, as half of the lowest-income quintile students attended a community college, compared with just 18 percent of the highest-income students, and wage gaps persist even when those with similar credentials are granted. The paper also finds that community colleges serve as both ladders of opportunity and mechanisms of stratification, depending in part on characteristics of the institutions themselves, the preparation levels of students, and policy contexts. Additionally, the study shows that although these institutions deliver substantial labor market benefits, they do not compensate for this on their own without a more systemic level change.
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