Report Improving College Graduation Rates: A Closer Look at California State University By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson May 17, 2016 Low college graduation rates come at a high cost—lower salaries, lower tax revenue, and fewer college graduates in the workforce. At California State University (CSU), the nation's largest university system, graduation rates have an outsized financial and economic impact on students and the state. CSU has made strides in improving graduation rates, but there is more work to be done. The system continues to struggle with graduation gaps—underrepresented students are much less likely to complete their degree compared to their peers, and these gaps have not narrowed over time. Also, CSU's on-time (four-year) graduation rates still lag behind those of similar universities nationwide. By 2025, CSU aims to further increase graduation rates while cutting graduation gaps in half. To assist campus planning for this goal, we identify several promising programs and policies. More broadly, the CSU Chancellor's Office must work with campuses to evaluate and expand successful efforts, and the state must play a role in supporting new policies to move the needle on graduation gaps and on-time graduation.
Fact Sheet California’s High School Graduation Requirements By Niu Gao, Lunna Lopes, Grace Lee Nov 27, 2017
Report Does Raising High School Graduation Requirements Improve Student Outcomes? By Niu Gao Feb 23, 2021 The shift to distance learning during the COVID-19 crisis exacerbated inequities in California’s K–12 system, adding urgency to an ongoing discussion about the role of high school graduation policy in improving student outcomes. This report shows that more-rigorous graduation requirements can have a positive and equitable impact on college readiness.
Report Getting to Graduation on Time at California State University By Jacob Jackson Nov 12, 2020 Students who take more than four years to graduate incur added costs—from paying extra tuition to forgoing years in the workforce. This report examines how a strategy of taking more courses in the first year at California State University may influence on-time graduation, while exploring how different groups benefit from a full course load.
Report College Readiness as a Graduation Requirement: An Assessment of San Diego’s Challenges By Julian Betts, Andrew C. Zau, Karen Bachofer Apr 24, 2013 Four large California school districts—Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Oakland—recently adopted ambitious new graduation standards designed to increase college readiness. Evidence from San Diego indicates a need for major interventions to help students succeed under the new policies. In conjunction with this report, the authors developed the a–g On Track Model, which can help districts identify middle-school students who will have difficulty completing the new requirements. This research was supported with funding from the Donald Bren Foundation.
Report Math Matters: The Links Between High School Curriculum, College Graduation, and Earnings By Julian Betts, Heather Rose Jul 1, 2001 This study examines the relationship between mathematics in high school and labor force earnings 10 years later. Using a series of statistical models to net out the true effect of curriculum, the authors control for as many other factors as the data allow: the student's demographic characteristics, measures of student motivation and ability, family background, and high school characteristics. After taking into account all of these factors, the authors find the direct relationship between curriculum and earnings remains quite strong. The analysis also shows that it is not simply the number of math courses a student takes that is important; what matters more is the extent to which students take more-demanding courses.
blog post Encouraging Full-Time Enrollment to Boost College Graduation Rates By Courtney Lee Jun 15, 2018 Full-time students in California’s higher education systems are much more likely to graduate within six years than students who first enroll part time.
blog post High School Graduation during the COVID-19 Crisis By Niu Gao, Joseph Hayes Apr 16, 2020 School closures and the move to distance learning present challenges in ensuring that California students, especially those from low-income families or with special educational needs, stay on track for graduating.
blog post College Gender Gap Starts Early and Extends across Races By Hans Johnson, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Marisol Cuellar Mejia May 23, 2023 Along every step of the educational pathway from 9th grade to college completion, women fare better than men. The college gender gap has far-reaching consequences for young men’s economic prospects, especially for those from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.
blog post Increasing On-time Graduation Rates at CSU By Jacob Jackson Feb 26, 2016 Just 19% of California students at California State University campuses graduate in four years. A bill introduced this week is aimed at improving graduation rates.