Complete College America

Complete College America (CCA) is a bold national advocate for dramatically increasing college completion rates and closing institutional performance gaps by working with states, systems, institutions, and partners to scale highly effective structural reforms and promote policies that improve student success. We harness the power of The CCA Alliance—a network comprised of 48 states and consortia, the CCA Fellows, Communities of Practice, and partner organizations—to create a groundswell of support for the most forward-thinking ideas in higher education. 

CCA envisions a nation where all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or familial educational achievement, have equal opportunities to access and complete a college education or credential of value because postsecondary institutions, policy makers, and systems of higher education welcome, invest in, and support these students through and to an on-time completion.

The shortcomings of today’s higher-ed system are complex and intertwined. That’s why CCA insists on a three-part approach to shifting policy, perspective, and practice—the only way to ensure lasting change that produces more equitable outcomes for students. We bring institutional leaders together with policymakers and higher education experts to create shared transformation agendas for states, systems, and consortia. By aligning stakeholders who often work in silos, we unlock powerful change.

Colleges and universities have historically assumed that a “one-size-fits-all” approach works for most students—and that the rest will somehow figure it out. Aligned with the Higher Education Equity Network, CCA believes the most impactful colleges create equitable outcomes by understanding the unique needs of every student and building clear, supportive pathways to graduation.

CCA staff, Board of Directors, and Fellows represent the lived experiences of those we ultimately seek to support: Black, Latinx, low-income, adult, and first-generation students. We work with courageous and forward-thinking higher education leaders on campuses serving the most marginalized and minoritized students, using data to identify best practices and advancing the policies, perspectives, and practices that meet the needs of students who have been systematically excluded for far too long.

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