Illinois Higher Education Data Points

Illinois is among national leaders in the rate of bachelor’s degree completion among transfer students from community colleges

• This is based on the transfer-out bachelor’s completion rate from Jenkins and Fink (2016)
• Source: Jenkins, D. & Fink, J. (2016). Tracking transfer: New measures of institutional and state effectiveness in helping community college students attain bachelor’s degrees. Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/tracking-transfer-institutional-state-effectiveness (pdf)

Illinois public colleges substantially outpace the national averages for six-year graduation rates

• This was calculated using Table 1, Six-Year Outcomes for Students Who Started at Four-Year Public Institutions, by Original State from the report referenced below
• Shapiro, D., Dundar, A., Wakhungu, P., Yuan, X., Nathan, A Hwang, Y., A. (2017, March). Completing College: A State-Level View of Student Attainment Rates (Signature Report No. 12a). Herndon, VA: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. https://nscresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Signature12aTables (xls)

Illinois has a robust higher education system that produces more bachelor’s degree with prior community college enrollment that the other national leaders

• The ‘other national leaders’ is a reference to the national leaders established in Jenkins and Fink (2016) study. However, the information in the graphic is from the National Student Clearinghouse (2017) data snapshot immediately below.
• National Student Clearinghouse (2017). NSC Data snapshot: Percentage of 2015-16 bachelor’s degree earners at four-year institutions with previous enrollments at two-year public institutions. State-level Table. Herndon, VA: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. https://nscresearchcenter.org/snapshotreport-twoyearcontributionfouryearcompletions26/

Illinois public universities produce more degrees relative to the number of students enrolled than their peers and perform substantially better than the national average

• Illinois Board of Higher Education. (November 2016). 2016 Degree Productivity at Illinois Public Universities (IBHE DataPoints 2016-7). Springfield, IL. https://www.ibhe.org/pdf/DegreesPer100 (pdf)

Most undergraduate students served by Illinois institutions, particularly the public colleges, are Illinoisans

• This is measured used first-time full-time freshmen from the IBHE’s Fall Enrollment Survey for AY 2016-17
• Illinois Board of Higher Education (2017). Chapter 1, Table 8 of the Dynamic Data Book. Springfield, IL. https://www.ibhe.org/IBHEDatabook/ChapterI/Table%20I-8.aspx

Illinois public universities are among the national leaders in completion rates for adult leaders, second only to Virginia

• This was calculated using Table 7, Six-Year Outcomes for Students over Age 24 at First Entry Who Started at Four-Year Public Institutions, by Original State in the report referenced below
• Shapiro, D., Dundar, A., Wakhungu, P., Yuan, X., Nathan, A Hwang, Y., A. (2017, March). Completing College: A State-Level View of Student Attainment Rates (Signature Report No. 12a). Herndon, VA: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. https://nscresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Signature12aTables (xls)