Over the past eight years, the number of states that have authorized community colleges to grant bachelor's degrees increased to 21 from 11, according to Inside Higher Ed. This new trend could decrease the worth of bachelor's degrees and threaten the existence of four-year institutions. Some support community colleges' four-year programs because they offer degrees where they would not be available otherwise. Valencia Community College presents a possible model for community colleges and universities to work together while both offering bachelor degress. Valencia helps the University of Central Florida meet the demand for technical four-year programs and continues to send students to UCF, according to Inside Higher Ed. The issue of whether community colleges should be allowed to grant bachelor's degrees is controversial and remains unresolved in many states.
The new market for MOOCs massive open online courses has become an extremely attractive alternative to traditional education and has been adopted by many universities internationally, Inside Higher Ed reported. Competing institutions hope to use online courses as a way to reach a wider global audience. Universities currently aim to establish and maintain partnerships with other universities in order to make MOOCs available beyond the university student body. Although MOOC revenue models have not yet been established, many colleges believe that they are the future of higher education and are essential investments, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Research by the Department of Education found that the graduating high school class of 2010 had the highest on-time graduation rate in history, increasing by 2 percent from the previous year, according to the Huffington Post. Although the number of students completing secondary education has increased, many high school graduates do not attend college. President Barack Obama aims to increase the college graduation rate by 50 percent by 2020, and to meet this goal, high schools need to reform their curriculums and focus on college preparation. The increase in graduation rate result from the poor job market, as fewer jobs have decreased drop-outs' work opportunities. The report also found that graduation rates increased across ethnic and racial groups, signifying an overall improvement in high school performance, the Huffington Post reported.
