Relative Tuition Levels and the Educational Focus of First-Time Fulltime Community College Students

Abstract

This paper employs a large panel dataset to determine whether potential enrollees in specific two-year college programs respond differently to tuition changes at community colleges and nearby public four-year colleges. Campus-level estimations reveal that enrollment in programs preparing students for transfer to four-year college is very responsive to two-year tuition changes and somewhat responsive to four-year tuition changes, while enrollment in occupational education programs is not significantly responsive to either two-year college or four-year college tuition changes. Student-level estimations reveal that new community college students are significantly more likely to enroll in academic (baccalaureate-oriented) programs when four-year tuition is high and two-year tuition is low, suggesting academic programs serve as a substitute for direct four-year college entry.