Community colleges that have implemented guided pathways are reporting increases in the number of students earning degrees and credentials, officials from the Community College Research Center say. Speaking at the American Association of Community Colleges' annual conference, researcher Davis Jenkins, says institutions undertaking such an initiative must be ready to bear short-term losses to realize long-term gains.

A report released by Pearson and higher-education expert Jeff Selingo recommends that higher-education leaders use segmentation to personalize campus services and academics. The report identifies five categories of students that leaders should focus on, including traditional, career and skeptical learners.

Colleges and universities are coming under increasing pressure from lawmakers and other stakeholders to come up with systems to measure and quantify student learning. Some experts say the diverse subjects studied by students make such measurements difficult, but some systems, such as the National Survey of Student Engagement, are being used by many institutions.

An analysis of data by Richard Garrett, chief research officer at Eduventures, shows that online college programs are increasing access for adult students and keeping tuition low for such programs. However, Garrett says his research also revealed lower graduation rates for online students, compared with those who took courses on campus or through blended-learning programs.

An analysis by the National Student Clearinghouse found that high-school students who attended schools with high rates of poverty or large minority enrollment were less likely to attend college. Six years after high-school graduation, data showed that only 18% of students from high-poverty schools graduated from college compared to 52% who attended wealthier schools.