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<\/p>\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ custom_margin=”||30px|” custom_padding=”0px|||” z_index_tablet=”0″ box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”\/wp-content\/uploads\/feature_timetodegree.png” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” admin_label=”Report Feature Image” _builder_version=”4.16″ vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ custom_margin=”50px||0px|” custom_padding=”||0px|” z_index_tablet=”0″ box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_post_title comments=”off” featured_image=”off” admin_label=”Report Header” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_font=”Montserrat||||||||” vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ custom_margin=”0px||30px|” custom_padding=”30px||0px|” z_index_tablet=”0″ title_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” title_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” title_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” meta_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” meta_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” meta_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#ffffff” custom_margin=”30px|||” custom_padding=”0px|||” custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row padding_mobile=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”0px|” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”||30px|” use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
This report examines time to degree completion for a cohort of students who earned an associate degree as their first and only postsecondary degree or a bachelor\u2019s degree as their first four-year degree between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. Overall, the average time enrolled for associate and bachelor\u2019s degree earners was 3.3 years and 5.1 years, respectively. However, as the report shows, the time required for successful degree attainment could be influenced by the pathway the student followed as well as by factors, such as stop outs and less than full-time enrollment status.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_button button_url=”\/wp-content\/uploads\/SignatureReport11.pdf” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Download Report (pdf)” button_alignment=”center” admin_label=”Download Report Button” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”16″ button_text_color=”#f36c32″ button_border_color=”#f36c32″ button_border_radius=”8″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”]
\n[\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
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Download Infographic<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ height=”10px” custom_margin=”35px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”] Suggested Citation:<\/strong> Shapiro, D., Dundar, A., Wakhungu, P.K., Yuan, X., Nathan, A, & Hwang, Y. (2016, September). Time to Degree: <\/em>A National View of the Time Enrolled and Elapsed for Associate and Bachelor’s Degree Earners<\/em> (Signature Report No. 11). Herndon, VA: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#d3d3d3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ hide_on_mobile=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”] [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#d3d3d3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ hide_on_mobile=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”] The authors would like to thank Victor Borden, director of Project on Academic Success and Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington for his thoughtful comments and suggestions; and the team members of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, Faye Huie for her assistance with editing sections of the report and Joe Bloom for his work to make the Clearinghouse data analysis ready.<\/p>\n This report was supported by a grant from the Lumina Foundation<\/strong>. Lumina Foundation, an Indianapolis-based private foundation, is committed to enrolling and graduating more students from college \u2014 especially 21st century students: low-income students, students of color, first-generation students and adult learners. Lumina\u2019s goal is to increase the percentage of Americans who hold high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025. Lumina pursues this goal in three ways: by identifying and supporting effective practice, through public policy advocacy, and by using our communications and convening power to build public will for change. For more information, log on to www.luminafoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#d3d3d3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ hide_on_mobile=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”] The time between initial enrollment in a postsecondary institution and graduation with a college degree is considered to be an important indicator of student success (California Postsecondary Education Commission, 2006). Traditionally, students were considered successful when they graduated \u201con time,\u201d which meant within two years or four years at a two- or four-year degree-granting institution, respectively. However, for a majority of postsecondary students, time-to-degree completion has increased over the past 30 years (Bound, Lovenheim, & Turner, 2012; Knight, 2002, 2004). Trends in the late 1970s highlighted higher education students\u2019 increased time to degree (California Postsecondary Education Commission, 1988). In fact, the Complete College America (2014) report revealed that less than 50 percent of full-time students graduate within four years at public four-year institutions. The proportion of \u201con time\u201d graduation at community colleges was even lower, with only 5 percent of students who started out with full-time course loads graduating with an associate degree within two years.<\/p>\n The change in traditional timelines for college completion can become expensive when viewed in terms of college costs, taxpayers\u2019 subsidies, and the wages students forfeit with each additional semester of enrollment (DesJardins, Ahlburg, & McCall., 2002; Gilmore & Hoffman, 1997). Although the majority of postsecondary students are now taking longer to complete college, extended periods of enrollment are even more common for students who are academically unprepared at the start (Bound, Lovenheim, & Turner, 2012).<\/p>\n Previous research highlighted various complex factors linked to increases in time to degree. They include reduced institutional resources available to students; rising college costs (Bound, Lovenheim, & Turner, 2012); remediation requirements (Bettinger, 2008; Ishitani, 2006; The Campaign for College Opportunity, 2014); taking more courses than is required, enrolling in non-degree classes, and difficulty in getting required courses (The Campaign for College Opportunity 2014); changing majors (California Postsecondary Education Commission, 1988); need for employment (Bound, Lovenheim, & Turner, 2012; California Postsecondary Education Commission, 1988; The Campaign for College Opportunity, 2014); and reduced course loads (Knight, 2002, 2004); among other factors.<\/p>\n This report builds upon the previous findings and expands them to include enrollments across multiple institutions (as opposed to considering only terms from the same school where the degree was earned) and provides the outcomes for different subgroups of students by age, gender, and enrollment intensity. Overall, a number of goals guided this report: 1) explore the various enrollment pathways of students who received a bachelor\u2019s and\/or an associate degree, as growing numbers of students transfer and graduate elsewhere; 2) determine how these pathways influenced the time required for successful degree attainment; and 3) examine the effects of the growing prevalence of student enrollment behaviors that include periods of stop out and enrollments at less than full-time status.<\/p>\n Using student-level data from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), we measured time to degree with two different metrics: 1) the time that elapsed between students\u2019 first term date and degree award date and 2) the total time of active enrollment. Understanding enrollment pathways can help administrators develop interventions to help students more successfully and quickly complete a degree. Reducing time to degree will likely increase graduation rates, as well as other costs related to extended time in college (Attewell & Monaghan, 2016; Jones, 2015). However, we also recognize that a longer time to degree may not be solely in control of the institutions or policymakers. It may also be an effect of the changing economic, social, and cultural circumstances of students. For this reason, our hope is that the potential impact of the report is not limited to developing measures to reduce time to degree. We would also like it to provide a means by which policymakers gain insight into better serving the needs of students who are not on the traditional path and avoid considering them to be \u201cfailures\u201d simply because they took a longer time to finish.<\/p>\n Various studies have identified factors that contribute to increased time-to-degree completion. One of these factors includes the increased need for remedial education programs (Bettinger & Long 2009; Ishitani, 2006). At community colleges, about 60 percent of incoming freshmen are placed into at least one remedial course, with many having multiple areas of remediation needs (Bailey & Cho, 2010). Although remediation plays an important role in addressing the needs of underprepared students, the additional curricular requirements will likely increase time to degree while decreasing the likelihood of college completion (Bettinger & Long, 2009). This issue is especially impactful on community college students, who are already graduating at lower rates than their counterparts at four-year institutions (Bailey & Cho, 2010; Complete College America, 2014; Proudfit, 2014). Furthermore, the dissonance between community college and four-year institutions\u2019 curricular offerings results not only in a loss of credits, but also highlights the transitional issues between academic environments and cultures in higher education (Johnson, 2011).<\/p>\n Other studies have shown that students who began postsecondary education at less selective public universities and community colleges and those with a greater financial need had the longest time to degree (Astin, 2006; Bound, Lovenheim, & Turner, 2012., 2012; Messer & Wolter, 2010; Oseguera, 2006; Runyan, 2011; Wei & Horn, 2009). Specifically, students may have difficulty affording a full course load due to increasing college costs and limited federal and state financial assistance (Lau, 2003). To ameliorate financial hardships, students seek paid employment to pay their way through college (Bound, Lovenheim, & Turner, 2012, Johnson, 2011), which can increase time-to-college completion as well as distract students from college studies. Although factors, such as financial aid, have been examined to determine whether they affect time to degree, the findings have been inconclusive. For instance, Lam (1999) found that students who took loans to pay for their educational expenses, but had no employment, took less time to graduate than those who took loans and were employed. However, Knight and Arnold (2000) found that receiving need-based and non-need-based loans slightly increased semesters enrolled to degree, but decreased semesters elapsed.<\/p>\n In terms of enrollment intensity, researchers generally agree that full-time continuously enrolled students are more likely to graduate than part-time discontinuously enrolled students (Belcheir, 2000; Camara, 2003; Jones, 2015; O\u2019Toole, Stratton, & Wetzel, 2003). However, there are also variations within full-time status that differentially impact time to degree. For instance, Volkwein and Lorang (1996) found that full-time students who enrolled in less than 15 credits took more than four years to graduate than those full-time students with heavier course loads. Some of the reasons for extended time to degree were linked to outside employment and family responsibilities. Equally, for the increasing number of postsecondary students who transfer between institutions before earning a degree such mobility, due to course and credit transferability issues, can increase time to degree (Anderson, 2015; Borden, 2004; Bradburn, Beger, Xiaojile, Katharin, & Rooney, 2003; Friedel & Wilson, 2015; Hossler et al., 2012; Marling, 2013; Shapiro et al., 2015).<\/p>\n In an effort to limit time to degree, some states and institutions have restructured institutional and legislative policies (Contomichalos, 2014; Johnson, 2011). Florida has attempted to address these issues by passing legislation to standardize degree requirements, in an effort to increase the transferability of credits across state institutions (LeMon & Pitter, 1996). With over 600 degree programs requiring different credit hours to degree completion, Florida has also reduced the requirements in most bachelor\u2019s degree programs to 120 credit hours to help students avoid accumulating unnecessary credits (Pitter, LeMon & Lanham, 1996). Indiana has created an online library that provides a list of courses that transfer among all Indiana public colleges (Indiana Core Transfer Library, 2016). In addition to legislative policy changes, institutions are beginning to provide course selection resources, such as program maps, to help students determine which courses count towards their degree and which do not (Degree Road Maps, 2016). Others have outreach programs targeting student populations with lower persistence and graduation rates (California Postsecondary Education Commission, 2006).<\/p>\n In general, researchers and institutional leaders agree that time to degree is an important topic to address as an indicator of student success. In line with the completion agenda, understanding the average time to degree and the pathways that students pursue may help institutional leaders and policymakers reevaluate present policies in place to facilitate the U.S.\u2019s progress toward the goal of achieving the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020 (Obama, 2009).<\/p>\n The report describes students\u2019 pathways to degree completion for a cohort of students who earned an associate degree as their first and only postsecondary degree or a bachelor\u2019s degree as their first four-year degree between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. Only degrees from schools for which the Clearinghouse had enrollment records for at least the prior 10 years were retained in the cohort.<\/p>\n The data for this report were drawn from the StudentTracker\u00ae<\/sup> and DegreeVerifySM<\/sup> services, administered by the National Student Clearinghouse\u00ae (the Clearinghouse), which tracks college enrollments nationwide across all postsecondary institutions, including all institution types: two-year and four-year institutions, public and private institutions, and nonprofit and for-profit institutions. The National Student Clearinghouse\u00ae (the Clearinghouse) is a unique and trusted source for higher education enrollment and degree verification. Currently, Clearinghouse data include more than 3,600 postsecondary institutions and 96.5 percent of U.S. postsecondary enrollments. The Clearinghouse has a 23-year track record of providing automated student enrollment and degree verifications. Due to the Clearinghouse\u2019s unique student-level record approach to data collection, the Clearinghouse data provides opportunities for robust analysis not afforded by the more commonly used institution-level national databases.<\/p>\n Time to degree was defined in two different ways:<\/p>\n Dual enrollments, which are enrollments before the student was 18 years old, were not included in either definition. (For a full discussion of data, definitions, and limitations, please see Appendix A<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Figure I1 shows the distribution of associate and bachelor\u2019s degrees among the degree earners included in the cohort.<\/p>\n Figure I2 shows the distribution of degree earners by degree level and institution type.<\/p>\n Figure I3 shows the distribution of associate and bachelor’s degree earners by age at first entry.<\/p>\n For a full description of the cohort, please see Appendix C<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#d3d3d3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ hide_on_mobile=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”] The results are reported for students who received their first associate and\/or bachelor\u2019s degrees between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015 (N = 2,047,696). Time-to-degree analyses on associate (N = 573,014) and bachelor\u2019s (N = 1,474,682) degree recipients were conducted separately.<\/p>\n Two strategies were used to define time to degree: time enrolled (number of academic years defined as 30 weeks of full-time or full-time equivalent enrollment) and time elapsed (number of calendar years between the first term begin date and the date of degree completion). More on data definitions can be found in Appendix A<\/a>.<\/p>\n Figures 1<\/strong> through<\/strong> 5<\/strong> show outcomes for degree earners by:<\/p>\n Overall, analysis showed that the average time enrolled for associate and bachelor\u2019s degree earners was 3.3 years and 5.1 years, respectively. The average elapsed time was 5.5 years for associate and 5.7 years for bachelor\u2019s degree earners (see Figure 1<\/strong> for average time to degree for specific institution types). All associate and bachelor\u2019s degree earners, except those at four-year private nonprofit institutions, remained enrolled for an average of one year or more on top of the prescribed \u201con time graduation\u201d definition of two or four year institutions. In fact, among associate degree earners from two-year public institutions, only 14.7 percent received their degrees in two calendar years and only 7.4 percent had two academic years of full-time or full-time equivalent enrollment. Among bachelors\u2019 degree earners from four-year public institutions, 37.5 percent received their degrees in four calendar years and only 10.1 percent had four academic years of full-time or full-time equivalent enrollment (for selected results, see Tables R1 and R2 below; for complete results, see Tables 7-10 in Appendix C<\/a>).<\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Suggested Citation” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n[\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”T of C” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”15px|||” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nTable of Contents<\/h2>\n
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\n[\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”About This Report” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”15px|||” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nAbout This Report<\/h2>\n
AUTHORS<\/h3>\n
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center<\/h4>\n
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Project on Academic Success, Indiana University<\/h4>\n
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<\/h3>\n
SPONSOR<\/h3>\n
\n[\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”15px|||” use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nIntroduction and Purpose of the Report<\/h2>\n
LITERATURE REVIEW<\/h3>\n
A NOTE ON THE DATA<\/h3>\n
Data Source<\/h4>\n
Time-to-Degree Definition<\/h4>\n
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\n[\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Results” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”15px|||” use_border_color=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nResults<\/h2>\n
OVERALL PATTERNS<\/h3>\n
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Table R1. Distribution of Associate Degree Earners from Two-Year Public Institutions by Total Time Elapsed (N=419,317)<\/h4>\n
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