The Role of Transfer in the Attainment of Bachelor’s

Degrees at Washington Public Baccalaureate Institutions, Class

of 2006

Higher Education Coordinating BoardOctober 27, 2009

University of Washington Tacoma

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Method and Questions

• Used combined PCHEES & SBCTC data files

• Conducted by Paul Stern, Kirby Pitman, and Dave Pavelchek, SESRC – Puget Sound Division

• Examined academic and background characteristics of 2006 Public Baccalaureate Graduates (n=19,272), including by:• campus type – (main, branch, and center)• % transfer vs. direct entry• type of two-year degree earned• enrollment in pre-college English or math• successful degree completion (by 6 broad major

areas)2

Limitations

• Some variables were not available in the developing database (e.g. earned credits, etc.)

• Some data were missing, particularly transfer credits from institutions other than Washington Community and Technical Colleges

• Some data were collected inconsistently by colleges (e.g. dual credit)

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Public degree production has grown rapidly at centers, branch campuses, and other off-campus

locations

4

Most graduates enrolled in courses at two or more

colleges

5,728 6,269

2,799

3,4671,009

0

2,500

5,000

7,500

10,000

Direct Entry N=9,195

CTC TransferN=7,278

Other Transfer

Graduate Distribution by Transfer Status –Student Counts

Less than 40 Transfer Credits

NoTransferCredits

Transferred with a Two-Year Degree

Transferred without a Two-Year Degree

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Type of Student # %

Direct Entry 7,918 41%

CTC Transfers 7,278 38%

Other Transfer 2,799 15%

Unknown 1,277 6%

TOTAL 19,272 100%

Direct entry students tended to be younger (under 25) than transfer

students

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Transfer Status by Age at Graduation

0

2,500

5,000

7,500

10,000

Direct Entry (9,191)

CTC Transfers(7,278)

Other Transfer (2,797)

30+

25-29

Under 25

The student population at branches and centers are older . . .

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Campus Type by Age at Graduation

68%79% 71%

35% 26%

18%14%

18%

27%24%

14%7% 11%

38%50%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Total

(N=19

,266)

Resea

rch U

niv (N

=9,291

)

Region

al Com

p. (N=6,7

21)

Branch

Cam

pus (N

=1,933

)

Center

(N=1,3

21)

Under 25 25-29 30+

. . . and more are transfer students

8

67%

71%

34%

29%

23%

27%

14%

11%

11%

2%

52%

59%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Center (N=1,321)

Branch Campus (N=1,933)

Regional Comp (N=6,726)

Research Univ (N=9,292)

Transfer Status by Campus Type

CTC Transfers Other Transfer Direct Entry

The majority of CTC transfer students successfully completed remedial

coursework and went on to complete a Bachelor’s degree

Percentage of CTC Transfers Enrolled inPre-College Math and English (N=7,278)

No Pre-College Courses

(N=2,763)38%

Pre-College English (N=457)

6%

Pre-College English & Math

(N=1,013)14%

Pre-College Math (N=3,045)

42%

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More than 4,500 students successfully completed remedial coursework at a CTC in

English or Math and progressed to a bachelor’s degree

Percentage of CTC Transfers by Major Enrolled in Pre-College Math and English

18%25%

19% 20% 24%17%

22%

60%50%

65%

35%

56% 60%70%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Arts &Letters

(N=1,835)

Business (N=1,413)

Education (N=526)

STEM (N=1,067)

Health (N=290)

Soc Sci (N=1,372)

Other (N=775)

Pre-College English Pre-College Math

35% of STEM graduates (n=232) and 50% of business graduates (n=505) took pre-college math

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Mission Matters: Different types of institutions tend to specialize in

particular majors

Distribution of Majors by Campus Type

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17% 16% 13%23%

31%

17% 24%13%

9% 1%5% 2%

9%4% 15%

4% 3%2% 16%

5%20% 25%

17%

11% 14%

27%24%

33%31%

12%

9% 6% 12%7%

22%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Overall Research Univ Regional Comp Branch Campus Center

Majors by Campus Type

Other Arts and Letters Soc Sci & Psych Health Education STEM Business

Transfer Pathways seem to be effective

48 out of 53 students completing the Business DTA/MRP earned a bachelor’s degree in business

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Median Credits Attempted/Earned Toward Business Degree

208.5 credits 199.5 207.0 211.0

242.0

Total (N=1,211)

BusinessDTA

(N=44)

DTA (N=923)

No AAEarned (N=175)

Technicaland OtherDegree (N=69)

Transfer Pathways seem to be effective

Median Credits Attempted/Earned Toward STEM Degree

238.5 234.0 240.0 236.0

283.0

Total (N=1,008)

AS Track1 &Track 2 (N=204)

DTA (N=530)

No AAEarned (N=202)

Technicaland OtherDegree (N=72)

145 out of 152 students completing an A. S. Track 2 (engineering/physics) completed a bachelor’s degree in a STEM-related major

68 out of 83 students earning an A. S. Track 1 (biology/chemistry) majored in either STEM or health

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Next Steps

• Continue working with Education Research and Data Center (ERDC) to improve PCHEES data set. – Capture earned as well as attempted credits

• Identify core questions for longitudinal studies about transfer, as well as any additional questions more suitable for periodic studies.

• Consider the pro’s and con’s in integrating the two transfer studies we currently conduct into one report.

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