Comparative Cost Analyses of Community College Student Success Initiatives. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1268
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| Title: | Comparative Cost Analyses of Community College Student Success Initiatives. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1268 |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Taylor K. Odle, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University |
| Source: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2025. |
| Availability: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 57 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Ascendium Education Group, Inc. Gates Foundation Lumina Foundation |
| Document Type: | Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges |
| Descriptors: | Cost Effectiveness, Community College Students, Intervention, College Programs, Success, Educational Finance, Community Colleges, Comparative Analysis, Career Exploration, Student Needs, At Risk Students, Tutoring, Student Financial Aid, First Year Seminars, Student Experience |
| Geographic Terms: | California, Ohio, Texas |
| Abstract: | Limited resources hinder completion and exacerbate inequality in community colleges. Existing research identifies strategies that raise outcomes but leaves policymakers and campus leaders asking, "What do these interventions really cost--and can we afford it?" I answer these questions by presenting the first set of comparative cost analyses of community college success initiatives to date. I comprehensively document annual costs associated with six common strategies: basic needs supports, college success and career exploration courses, early alert systems, embedded tutoring, retention- and emergency-based financial aid programs, and first-year experience programming. I identify overall costs, the distribution of costs, and costs per student, as well as how costs are borne by various actors. I show costs can vary widely from roughly $79,900 per year to over $2.9 million--and range from as little as $570 per student to more than $1,320. I also show that more expensive programs do not necessarily serve more students. This work equips decisonmakers with crucial insights for identifying what works--at what cost--and greatly extends the nascent body of cost studies in higher education. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED678227 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Limited resources hinder completion and exacerbate inequality in community colleges. Existing research identifies strategies that raise outcomes but leaves policymakers and campus leaders asking, "What do these interventions really cost--and can we afford it?" I answer these questions by presenting the first set of comparative cost analyses of community college success initiatives to date. I comprehensively document annual costs associated with six common strategies: basic needs supports, college success and career exploration courses, early alert systems, embedded tutoring, retention- and emergency-based financial aid programs, and first-year experience programming. I identify overall costs, the distribution of costs, and costs per student, as well as how costs are borne by various actors. I show costs can vary widely from roughly $79,900 per year to over $2.9 million--and range from as little as $570 per student to more than $1,320. I also show that more expensive programs do not necessarily serve more students. This work equips decisonmakers with crucial insights for identifying what works--at what cost--and greatly extends the nascent body of cost studies in higher education. |
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