Diving into the pool: An analysis of Texas community college students' transfer institution choice sets

Abstract

Background/Context: Community colleges are drawing renewed attention from policy makers and advocates seeking to increase college attendance and completion. Nearly half of all students awarded a bachelor's degree attended a community college. However, we know little about how community college students decide where and how to pursue postsecondary education, or how they select a four-year institution-choices that have significant implications for student outcomes. Focus of Study: This study examines transfer-intending community college students' choice sets, or the list of institutions they are selecting from. Specifically, we ask: What kinds of colleges and universities are in transfer-intending students' choice sets, and how are these choice sets shaped by individual and structural barriers? Setting: The research took place in two community college systems in Central Texas. Research Design: Drawing on data from 95 interviews with transfer-intending community college students in Texas-the majority of whom are first-generation college-goers, low-income, or students of color-we examine their choice sets, the institutions to which they considered transferring. Conclusions/Recommendations: Our findings suggest significant heterogeneity among our sample of community college students seeking transfer to four-year institutions. We find that geography, financial concerns, and quality of institution all play a role in student considerations-though these mechanisms operate differently for groups of students. Students' choices are bounded, but in different ways. We identify five approaches to choice-set construction among our sample that have differential implications for programs and policies that help students successfully apply and transfer to high-quality four-year institutions.