Established in 1999, the Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCBA) promotes access to community college baccalaureate degrees as a convenient, accessible, and affordable way to help close the nation’s racial, ethnic, and economic gaps.

The CCBA is a nonprofit membership association that provides research data, publications, best practices, consultation services, and networking and professional development opportunities. These efforts guide and advise member institutions on their baccalaureate programs.

The CCBA has grown from 33 member colleges in 2019 to 187 institutions in 2023. The CCBA believes that the community college baccalaureate degrees improve the structure of higher education by:

• providing access to those who would otherwise go unserved
• offering an environment that fosters learner growth and honors learners’ personal stories
• responds to employer needs
• ensures that opportunities are grounded in social justice and equity
• safeguarding the vibrancy of communities

Research examples include:

• eBook: The CCBA, in partnership with Bragg & Associates, published an eBook that highlights 20 promising practices implemented by baccalaureate-conferring community colleges across the nation. The eBook focuses on a central question: What practices make CCB programs valuable to students? It features practices that contribute to more equitable education and employment outcomes for students, including those in historically underserved groups.
• Webinars aimed at improving and promoting access to community college baccalaureate programs are available, including: "Lessons from the field: Scaling up student-centered CCB programs," and "California’s CCB journey: A panel discussion."
• National Inventory: Beginning in early 2021, the CCBA began developing a national inventory of community college baccalaureate degree programs. Altogether, the 2023 inventory shows nearly 680 CCB programs (not counting approved specializations as separate programs) operating in 187 community and technical colleges across 24 states.
• New America studied outcomes of the State of Washington’s community college baccalaureate programs. The analysis suggests that expanding baccalaureate programs at community colleges could go a long way toward increasing the share of Americans with bachelor’s degrees. Programs, enrollments, and graduations are all growing in number. Baccalaureate programs in community colleges can help address racial and socioeconomic disparities in bachelor’s degree attainment by reaching more Americans who have historically been underrepresented among bachelor’s degree holders.
• The CCBA publishes research on topics such as surveying the pathways to postsecondary credentials, highlighting specific CCB programs (e.g., school-specific or field-specific), sharing the benefits and opportunities of CCB programs, and providing insights on other postsecondary credential-related topics. Some notable research studies include:
  • Pioneering the community college baccalaureate in California: The experience of West Los Angeles College.
  • A comparative perspective on the community college baccalaureate focusing on the scale of the degree.
  • Improving the local nursing workforce through creation of an RN-BSN program.

Resources

Knowledge Center

YouTube Channel

FAQs

CCB Degrees Growth