Opportunities for Future Research

There are a number of opportunities for research around the emerging policy area of CCBs. While research in the two states that have expanded CCBs to all–or almost all–community colleges, Florida and Washington, should continue, it is important to add more states to the analysis of access, completion and labor market outcomes. Calls for better labor market information on college graduates are already common in higher education,¹ but this information is especially critical for CCB programs where preparation for good jobs is a stated goal.

Outcomes of CCB programs disaggregated by gender, race/ethnicity, age, and other demographic characteristics are also important, given the importance of ensuring more equitable outcomes in baccalaureate attainment for underserved populations in higher education. Now that these degrees have been expanded in several states, researchers should look at the impact they have on baccalaureate degree production at the state level and for specific demographic groups. Cuellar and Gandara argue that the early stage of development and implementation of CCB degrees may facilitate “equity-oriented strategies” that could improve baccalaureate completion for underserved populations, especially racially minoritized students, who are often concentrated in community colleges.² We recommend research on factors affecting CCB program completion, labor market outcomes, and other effects not yet studied, for example time to degree and educational pathways to the CCB for diverse student populations. This research will be useful to states, higher education systems, and community colleges considering adopting CCB degrees, as well as students who are considering attending these programs.