Posts published on September 18, 2014

The Bottom 5% Of All 4 Year Colleges

From Education Trust

As student access and success are central to the mission of any higher education institution, we proposed setting a bottom-line standard — based on the bottom 5 percent of four-year colleges — to encourage improvement.

We’ve followed through on that, recognizing that policymakers, students, and families alike need clear information on those colleges.  We’re happy to share those standards are now clearly visible in our College Results Online database. Now in its ninth year of compiling and sharing critical information on colleges across the country, College Results Online marks colleges with one of our “Bottom 5 Percent Indicators” when they have dismal graduation rates or don’t enroll their fair share of low-income students.

College Dropout Factories: These colleges graduate very few students and may not be the best option, particularly for first-generation or low-income students who often require additional support. These colleges should draw the attention of states and policymakers, who are placing a greater emphasis on outcomes in higher education, and the public, which is increasingly questioning the return on the investment for a college degree.

Engines of Inequality: These colleges enroll very few students from working-class and low-income families and are not very socioeconomically diverse. This is a flag for students from these backgrounds — and any student seeking a culturally diverse experience in college. Low-income access has received a lot of attention, including from President Barack Obama, so this is an important indicator to follow, particularly as the administration sorts out its college rating system.

To see how these work, watch our brief video tutorial. But know that College Results Online continues to offer the interactive tools that you know and love, including options to:

  • Search for nearly every four-year college in the nation to find data on its students;
  • Compare graduation rates of similar colleges serving similar students; and
  • See how colleges fare graduating diverse groups of students.