Foreign Language Instructor, Cameila Jadic (right) lectures to students at Independence Community College.
Independence, Kansas – April 28, 2017 – A recent study titled, The Determinants of Enrollment and Success of Community College Transfer Students, ranks Independence Community College (ICC) as the most successful community college in the State of Kansas for producing graduates among transfer students at four-year institutions.
The study by Dr. Donna K. Ginther, Professor in the Department of Economics and Director of the Center for Science, Technology & Economic Policy at the Institute for Policy & Social Research at The University of Kansas found that 58 percent of ICC students who transfer to four-year colleges successfully graduate with a bachelor degree within six years.
Ginther’s study compared all students who transferred to a four-year college or university from a community or technical college and found a significant variance among community colleges. The success rate of ICC students was not only higher than the average university student, but was 45% higher than the average Kansas community college student. The statewide success average for community colleges students was 40.3%.
“These kinds of long-term, high-quality studies from independent organizations confirm the excellent work of our faculty and staff. We strive to make a student’s educational experience as exceptional as possible,” said Dr. Dan Barwick, ICC president. “It is our job as educators to best prepare them for where ever their life choices may take them. We can do this with outstanding instructors and a solid academic support system.”
Current ICC transfer students reinforce the conclusions of Ginther’s study.
“Going to ICC first has benefitted me in a lot of different ways,” said Paige Hufferd, a sophomore from Independence. “I have had an amazing experience here. Not only do I better understand the expectations of college life, but I better understand my own strengths and limits which will definitely help me when I transfer to the University of Kansas.”
ICC’s top ranking for student success is just the latest in a multi-year string of accolades. In 2016, the college ranked in the top 1% of Community Colleges in the U.S. for Student Educational Goal Attainment. In 2015, the college was named as one of the Top 5 Most Affordable Community Colleges in the United States. In 2013, ICC was ranked in the Top 50 Best Community Colleges in the United States.
The Determinants of Enrollment and Success of Community College Transfer Students was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. Dr. Ginther’s presentation is available at www.indycc.edu/about-us/marketing.
###
Independence Community College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission