April 1, 2024
Irvine Valley College (IVC) is demonstrating a remarkable success story in community college transfer rates, countering the troubling national trend highlighted in a recent article by Sara Weissman of Inside Higher Education. Weismann focuses on two reports that underscore the challenges faced by many community college students in completing bachelor’s degrees after transferring to four-year institutions. However, data from IVC suggests a different narrative—one of commendable achievement and high graduation rates. Weissman’s article sheds light on the sobering reality that fewer than half of community college students who transfer to four-year institutions go on to earn a bachelor’s degree. This statistic is compounded by disparities among vulnerable student populations, including Black, Hispanic, low-income, and older adult learners. The findings, drawn from reports by the Community College Research Center, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, and the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, underscore systemic challenges in the transfer process.
According to the reports, only about a third of students who began their academic journey at community colleges in the 2015–16 academic year successfully transferred to four-year institutions. Of those who transferred, less than half—48 percent—ultimately completed a bachelor’s degree within six years. These figures highlight a concerning gap between student intent to transfer and actual degree attainment.
However, amidst these national challenges, IVC stands out as a beacon of success. Data collected by the college reveals that students who transfer from college to four-year universities generally achieved higher graduation rates than those who began their academic journey directly at four-year institutions. For IVC’s top 25 transfer institutions, students had on average a 6% higher graduation rate within 4-years after transferring compared to the 6-year graduation rate reported by that institution. This trend was also true at IVC’s top three universities: California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) 8 percentage points higher, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) +6PP, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) +2PP.
“While the national landscape reflects significant disparities in transfer and bachelor’s degree attainment rates, IVC’s experience suggests a more optimistic outlook for its students,” said IVC President Dr. John Hernandez. “At IVC, the low graduation rates highlighted in Weissman’s article are not the case. However, there is always more that can be done. IVC is committed to student success and robust support systems which contribute to our higher transfer and graduation rates. As an institution, we know we must tailor our support services, including academic advising and transfer pathways, to empower all our transfer students to navigate the complexities of higher education successfully.”
In California, navigating the difficult landscape of two systems (UC, CSU) and differing local campus policies unfortunately still puts many students at risk of taking unnecessary coursework or even postpone their dream of transferring as a recent report from the California Community College Chancellor’s office shows.
IVC maintains collaborative relationships with UCI and CSUF, the primary transfer destinations for most of its students. Recognized by the Biden-Harris administration’s Raise the Bar initiative, IVC and CSUF boast California’s highest rate of Title IV transfer students completing bachelor’s degrees.
Additionally, IVC partners with UCI through programs like the Transfer Agreements and Guarantees (TAG), Engineering Academy, and Honors to Honors. TAG offers guaranteed admission to UCI, while the Engineering Academy provides a pathway for students initially denied admission to UCI. The Honors to Honors program sees a 100% admission rate to UCI for participants, compared to 40-53% for first-year applicants. The IVC Honors Program Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) applicants are admitted to UCLA at a rate of 70-82% compared to 12-16% for freshman applicants.
