Statistically speaking, not many community college students transfer to four-year institutions -- about one in five. But according to recent research from the National Student Clearinghouse, of those that do transfer, 60% earn a degree within four years. For those who complete an associate's degree before transferring, the odds of earning a bachelor's are even better: 71% will earn a bachelor's in four years, while 80% will either graduate or remain enrolled.
Writes Paul Fein for
Inside Higher Ed:
Four-year institutions have a big incentive to "poach" community college students before they complete an associate degree, Jenkins said, with one motivation being that they want tuition revenue for general education courses. "They use the community colleges to get students ready," he said.
... An ideal scenario is for community colleges and four-year institutions to encourage students to earn an associate degree before transferring and then make sure they arrive with junior standing in a major.
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here.