Our latest research shows that students who attend community colleges on the way to computer science (CS) bachelor’s degrees encounter many challenges and obstacles along the way. But there are many ways for community colleges and four-year colleges to work together and with industry to remove these obstacles and support students seeking to transfer into CS majors.

Today, we are releasing two complementary research reports that explore the pathways that community college students follow to a bachelor’s degree in CS. The reports also examine the experiences of these students and the opportunities that exist or that might be created to ensure their successful career advancement. Longitudinal Analysis of Community College Pathways to Computer Science Bachelor’s Degrees investigates the national landscape of CS students at community colleges in order to better understand student behaviors and institutional characteristics that support or hinder community college students’ efforts to attain a CS bachelor’s degree. The companion report, Student Perspectives of Community College Pathways to Computer Science Bachelor’s Degrees, takes a complimentary in-depth and qualitative look at the experiences of students from underrepresented groups at community colleges in California, a state that enrolls one quarter of all community college students in the U.S.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics by 2024 nearly 4.6 million high wage jobs will be in CS and related fields, yet there has not been enough graduates to meet demand. The shortage of CS bachelor’s degree earners is particularly severe among groups historically underrepresented in the field, where in 2013–2014, only 18% were awarded to women, 11% to Black students, and 9% to Hispanic students (National Center for Education Statistics). To address these gaps, the national spotlight has focused on the K-12 and university levels.

But unfortunately community colleges are often overlooked in efforts to increase diversity for the CS field despite the fact that these institutions serve large numbers of traditionally underrepresented students--45% of all U.S. undergraduates are educated at community colleges, including 57% of Hispanic and 52% of Black undergraduates (American Association of Community Colleges). That’s a large and diverse population.



