DIVIDED WE FAIL:
Improving Completion and Closing Racial Gaps in California’s Community Colleges
Regional Profile—MONTEREY BAY
Counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito
The future of California depends heavily on increasing the number of Californians with certificates, associate
degrees, and bachelor’s degrees. Educational attainment in California has been declining with each younger
generation – a statistic that bodes poorly for the state’s economic competitiveness.
Divided We Fail is a report that tracked more than a quarter of a million students (255,253) who entered a
California Community College in 2003-04 over six years and analyzed their progress and outcomes by major
racial/ethnic population. Analyses were restricted to “degree-seekers” (students believed to be seeking a
certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree), defined as all new students enrolling in more than 6 credits
in the first year.
In California, too many students fail to complete community college:
• Six years after enrolling, 70% of degree-seeking students had not completed a certificate or degree
and had not transferred to a university.
• 75-80% of Latino and black degree-seeking students did not complete.
• Only 23% of degree seekers transferred to a university, 11% earned an associate degree, and only
5% earned a certificate.
Key Findings for the Monterey Bay Region
(4,604 degree-seeking students)
•
The overall completion rate of degree-seeking community college students in the Monterey Bay region
was 27%, lower than the statewide rate. The lower percentage can be attributed, in part, to a lower share
of students transferring to a university.
•
The share of degree-seeking community college students in the Monterey Bay region transferring to a
university was 20%, among the lowest in the state.
•
11% of Monterey Bay students earned an associate degree, the same as in the state as a whole.
•
The share of students earning a certificate in the Monterey Bay region, 3%, was the lowest in California,
two percentage points below than the statewide figure.
•
Latino students comprised 42% of degree-seekers in Monterey Bay community colleges, but only 22%
of completers.
Divided We Fail
1
Monterey Bay Regional Profile
July 2011
Milestone Attainment and Completion within 6 Years
California Community College (CCC) System and Monterey Bay Region
100%
90%
CCC
Monterey Bay
80%
70%
60%
50%
56
40%
61
55
60
40
30%
38
20%
15
10%
0%
Retained to
2nd Year
12
12+ College- 30+ College- Completed
Level Credits Level Credits
Transfer
Curriculum
31
5
3
90%
White
Asian-Pacific Islander
Latino
*Figures for black students
not shown due to small
numbers in the cohort.
80%
70%
60%
64
68
54 56 56
53
41
30%
47
32
20%
10%
0%
Completion
Milestone Attainment and Completion Within 6 Years
by Race/Ethnicity in the Monterey Bay Region
100%
40%
27
20
Completed Transferred to
Overall
Associate
University Completion
Degree
Intermediate Milestones
50%
11
11
Completed
Certificate
23
10
14 14
Retained to
2nd Year
12+ CollegeLevel Credits
30+ CollegeLevel Credits
Completed
Transfer
Curriculum
12
3
3
16
2
Completed
Certificate
9
10
17
Completed
Associate
Degree
Intermediate Milestones
35
28
Transferred to
University
29
15
Overall
Completion
Completion
Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Degree-Seekers Compared to “Completers”
in Monterey Bay Colleges
Black
3%
Other
.8%
Black
4%
API
9%
Latino
42%
API
11%
White
45%
Latino
22%
Degree-Seekers
N=4,604
Divided We Fail
Other
.5%
White
63%
Completers
N=1,233
2
Monterey Bay Regional Profile
July 2011
Most Transfer Students in the Monterey Bay Region
Have Not Completed Two Years of Credits
100%
90%
Completed Transfer Curriculum
Completed Associate Degree
*Figures for black students
not shown due to small
numbers in the cohort.
80%
70%
60%
50%
57
49
40%
40
30%
36
34
31
20%
25
10%
0%
47
All Transfers
White
API
Latino
Transfer Destination of Monterey Bay Students Varies by Race/Ethnicity
White Transfer Students
API Transfer Students
Out-ofState Private
8%
ForProfit
Out-of-State 5%
Private 14%
CSU
32%
Out-ofState Public
29%
In-State
Private
7%
UC
22%
Latino Transfer Students
Out-ofState Private
6%
Out-of-State
Public 9%
In-State
Private 7%
Divided We Fail
CSU
39%
Out-of-State
Public 19%
UC
13%
In-State
Private
7%
ForProfit
5%
ForProfit
9%
CSU
60%
UC
10%
*Figures for black students
not shown due to small
numbers in the cohort.
3
Monterey Bay Regional Profile
July 2011
Completion Rates Vary Depending on Students’ Enrollment Patterns
Students who followed certain enrollment patterns did much better. Passing college level English and Math
within 2 years and accumulating at least 20 credits in the first year increase student chances of success. As
examples, 43% of students who took and passed college-level English within two years completed a
certificate, degree or transfer within six years compared to only 17% who did not; 48% of students who
passed college level Math within 2 years succeeded (vs. 18% who did not); and 57% of students who
accumulated at least 20 credits in the first year succeeded (vs. 18% who did not). Unfortunately, few
Monterey Bay students follow these successful patterns (see below).
Too Few Monterey Bay Community College Students Follow Successful Enrollment Patterns
100%
Passed College-Level English within 2 Years
Passed College-Level Math within 2 Years
Earned 20+ Credits within 1 Year
*Figures for black students
not shown due to small
numbers in the cohort.
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
37
42
40
30
31
22
Degree-Seekers in
Monterey Bay
42
29
24
35
25
17
White
API
Latino
Divided We Fail: Improving Completion and Closing
Racial Gaps in California’s Community Colleges is
a report by the Institute for Higher Education
Leadership & Policy at California State University,
Sacramento and is sponsored by The Campaign for
College Opportunity.
The full report can be accessed at
www.csus.edu/ihelp
www.collegecampaign.org
Divided We Fail
4
Monterey Bay Regional Profile
July 2011