The Role of the Community College in Baccalaureate Attainment at a Private Liberal Arts College

Degree audits on 1,188 graduates of a private liberal arts college revealed that 49% had earned credit hours toward completing the baccalaureate at a community college. After defining the different roles that community colleges play in baccalaureate attainment (traditional, occasional needs, returning, traditional/continuing needs, other), the author presents data on the 577 graduates in this study who used a community college by roles defined and number of credit hours completed. The findings support the contention that aggregate data mask institutional variations on community college contributions to baccalaureate education.