Community Colleges Topic of Fed Report

Community colleges play a critical role in U.S. higher education and in the economy. For many who cannot afford a traditional four-year college, these two-year colleges are a pathway to economic opportunity. With the current economy in crisis, their role is magnified.

A new report, Community Colleges: A Route of Upward Economic Mobility, by St. Louis Fed economist Natalia Koles­nikova, looks at both the benefits and downsides of community colleges and the types of students they attract: their goals, educational choices and outcomes.

The report is available in PDF.