Many young people who enroll in community college fail to complete their studies, do no better in the labor market than those with only a high school diploma

Amid expanded college access over the past several decades, as many as 86 percent of on-time high school graduates now continue their education. But the era of “college for all” has yielded a new set of challenges and obstacles for young people and the institutions that serve them, particularly community colleges. In “The New Forgotten Half and Research Directions to Support Them,” James Rosenbaum and colleagues find that many young people who enroll in community college fail to complete their studies and attain a degree, and that these youth fare no better in the labor market than those with only a high school diploma.

Using data from the nationally representative Educational Longitudinal Survey (ELS), this report examines the circumstances of youth who drop out of community college before attaining a credential, discuss institutional challenges in the era of increased college access, and outline a research agenda to help youth move beyond "some college" and achieve their potential.