2025 Washington Transfer Efficiency Update
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| Title: | 2025 Washington Transfer Efficiency Update |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Arya Kukreja, Rebecca Byrne, Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) |
| Source: | Washington Student Achievement Council. 2025. |
| Availability: | Washington Student Achievement Council. P.O. Box 43430, Olympia, WA 98504. Tel: 360-753-7800; E-mail: info@wsac.wa.gov; Web site: http://www.wsac.wa.gov |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 36 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges |
| Descriptors: | College Transfer Students, Associate Degrees, Educational Attainment, Transfer Programs, Program Effectiveness, Bachelors Degrees, Community Colleges, Technical Institutes, Public Colleges, College Graduates, Graduation Rate, Majors (Students), Enrollment Trends, Minority Group Students, Equal Education |
| Geographic Terms: | Washington |
| Abstract: | Bachelor's degrees are increasingly needed to get a job that pays a livable wage. Washington's transfer degrees and policies can help students earn a bachelor's degree. Transfer degrees support the state's goal to have 70% of 25- to 44-year-olds with a credential beyond high school. Every two years, the Washington State Legislature asks the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) to submit a report about transfer efficiency to the state legislature. Transfer efficiency means how smoothly students in transfer degree programs at community and technical colleges (CTC) can complete a vertical transfer. This does not include students who are enrolled in dual credit programs or pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree at a Washington CTC. In this report, "vertical transfer" is when a student in a transfer degree program at a Washington CTC moves on to a Washington four-year institution. However, some CTC students can choose to earn a bachelor's degree directly from their CTC without transferring to a four-year institution. The three main ways the efficiency of vertical transfer are measured include: (1) Enrollment in transfer degrees at CTC; (2) Transfer degree earners at CTC (2023-2024 school year); and (3) Transfer students earning bachelor's degrees at four-year institutions. Since the 2023 transfer report, updated data on the three main vertical transfer indicators show that Washington students benefit from policies that center transfer students' needs, but disparities persist throughout the transfer pathway. Overall, the percent of students enrolled in CTC with intent to transfer (including award seeking Running Start students) has stabilized since the Fall 2023, but participation in transfer degrees varies by race/ethnicity. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED677683 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Bachelor's degrees are increasingly needed to get a job that pays a livable wage. Washington's transfer degrees and policies can help students earn a bachelor's degree. Transfer degrees support the state's goal to have 70% of 25- to 44-year-olds with a credential beyond high school. Every two years, the Washington State Legislature asks the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) to submit a report about transfer efficiency to the state legislature. Transfer efficiency means how smoothly students in transfer degree programs at community and technical colleges (CTC) can complete a vertical transfer. This does not include students who are enrolled in dual credit programs or pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree at a Washington CTC. In this report, "vertical transfer" is when a student in a transfer degree program at a Washington CTC moves on to a Washington four-year institution. However, some CTC students can choose to earn a bachelor's degree directly from their CTC without transferring to a four-year institution. The three main ways the efficiency of vertical transfer are measured include: (1) Enrollment in transfer degrees at CTC; (2) Transfer degree earners at CTC (2023-2024 school year); and (3) Transfer students earning bachelor's degrees at four-year institutions. Since the 2023 transfer report, updated data on the three main vertical transfer indicators show that Washington students benefit from policies that center transfer students' needs, but disparities persist throughout the transfer pathway. Overall, the percent of students enrolled in CTC with intent to transfer (including award seeking Running Start students) has stabilized since the Fall 2023, but participation in transfer degrees varies by race/ethnicity. |
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