Connecting the Findings: Key Takeaways on Postsecondary Access and Success in Missouri
Image by Niek Verlaan from Pixabay
Connecting the Findings: Key Takeaways on Postsecondary Access and Success in Missouri
By: Misti Jeffers, Ph.D., Ashley Donaldson Burle, and Evan Rhinesmith, Ph.D.
Recently, the PRiME Center released two reports in a series exploring patterns of postsecondary access and success in the state. The first report describes patterns in college-intending behaviors and postsecondary access for Missouri high school graduates, while the second report describes postsecondary success for those Missouri high school graduates who enroll as first-time, full-time degree-seeking students at one of Missouri’s public institutions of higher education (IHEs). Overall, we found that college enrollment has been declining over the last decade, while the number of individuals completing their credential has remained relatively flat.
In each report, we narrow in on outcomes for the most recent cohort of students for which all data are available (the class of 2019 for access and the class of 2015 for success) to show that college access and success varies by the region, locale, and characteristics (student body racial composition and income level) of the high schools students graduate.
This blog describes how findings related to college access and success connect as we continue to highlight variation in outcomes across the state. We find:
1) High schools located in regions that observe the highest college access do not always see the highest college success rates.
For the class of 2019, the St. Louis region had the highest immediate college enrollment rate (72%) relative to other regions, but the lowest (46%) first-time, full-time (FTFT) enrollment rate (the percent of college enrollees who remain in-state at public IHEs). For the class of 2015, the credential completion rate for FTFT college students who graduated high school in the St. Louis region was relatively average compared to other regions.
Conversely, the Central region saw the fourth highest immediate college enrollment rate (59%) relative to other regions, but the highest college success (with a credential completion rate of 63%). Importantly, the credential completion rate includes only college enrollees who attended in-state, public institutions, which is a higher proportion (60%) in the Central region.
FTFT Credential Completion Rates (Class of 2015) Vary by Region
2) Suburban high schools have both the highest college access and college success outcomes compared to other school locales, while rural schools have the lowest outcomes.
For the class of 2019, suburban high schools had an immediate college enrollment rate of 71% and an FTFT rate of 50%. For the class of 2015, suburban high schools saw 56% of FTFT college students obtaining a credential.
Rural high schools saw the lowest immediate college enrollment rate at 55%, but the largest proportion of FTFT enrollees (66%). In terms of college success, only 53% of FTFT students graduating from rural high schools obtained a degree.
Class of 2019 Post-Graduation Activities (Two-Year, Four-Year, And Workforce Entry) Rates Vary by Locale
3) By high school racial composition, we see disparities exist for college access and success, creating large inequities for students graduating from high schools serving a high concentration of students of color.
For the class of 2019, high schools serving a student body reflective of state demographics have the highest immediate college enrollment rate (70%), and a relatively average FTFT rate (53%) compared to other school types. This group of high schools also sees the highest credential completion rate for the class of 2015 (60%).
On the other hand, high schools that serve a student body that is more than 90% students of color have the lowest immediate college enrollment rate (49%), the lowest FTFT rate (37%), and the lowest college completion rate (27%) compared to other school types.
Class of 2019 Post-Graduation Activities (Two-Year, Four-Year, And Workforce Entry) Rates Vary by Racial Composition
Class of 2015 FTFT Credential Completion Rates Vary by High Racial Composition
4) Similarly, disparities in college access and success are observed by high school income.
For the class of 2019, highest income high schools have the highest immediate college enrollment rate (85%), but the lowest FTFT rate (43%) compared to other school types. Highest income high schools also see the highest credential completion rate for the class of 2015 (65%).
On the other hand, lowest income high schools have the lowest immediate college enrollment rate (47%), the second lowest FTFT rate (49%), and the lowest college completion rate (42%) compared to other school types.
Class of 2019 Post-Graduation Activities (Two-Year, Four-Year, And Workforce Entry) Rates Vary by Income Level
Class of 2015 FTFT Credential Completion Rates Vary by Income Level of High School
In the years since the class of 2015 has entered college, the state has made several concerted efforts to increase access to postsecondary education. It remains to be seen whether these efforts will bear fruit in the form of more credentials earned from historically underrepresented student groups. With postsecondary education increasingly required for employment opportunities and to increase potential earnings and within the context of Missouri's Big Goal of 60% of adults having a postsecondary degree or certificate by 2025, it is important to examine the connection between college access and success to determine inequities and inform policy decisions. We encourage education stakeholders to use our tools to explore the data in greater detail and add context to identified themes.
