Could Shifting the Margin Between Community College and University Enrollment Expand and Diversify University Degree Production in STEM Fields?

Cheng Qian and Cory Koedel
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Cheng Qian: University of Missouri

Research in Higher Education, 2024, vol. 65, issue 1, No 2, 42-69

Abstract: Abstract We examine the potential to expand and diversify the production of university STEM degrees by shifting the margin of initial enrollment between community colleges and 4-year universities. Our analysis is based on statewide administrative microdata from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development covering enrollees in all public postsecondary institutions statewide. We find that the potential for shifting the enrollment margin to expand degree production in STEM fields is modest, even at an upper bound, because most community college students are not academically prepared for bachelor’s degree programs in STEM fields. We also find that shifting the enrollment margin is unlikely to improve racial/ethnic diversity among university STEM degree recipients. This is because community college students at the enrollment margin are less diverse than their peers who enter universities directly.

Keywords: STEM; STEM pipeline; STEM diversity; Community colleges (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s11162-023-09750-x

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