Connecticut
Student Access & Success
Connecticut’s four-year institutions put the state at a top 10 national ranking in both credentials produced per 100 full- time equivalent undergraduates and retention rate, though the state has a very low percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. The state’s performance at the two-year level is particularly poor, with completion rates and credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates that rank in the bottom third nationally and an average retention rate.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Connecticut has a four-year cost per completion of $74,572, ranking in the bottom third, and a two-year cost per completion of $80,674, placing the state in the bottom five nationally. State and local funding per completion also ranks in the bottom third for both sectors, at $51,412 for four-years and $50,367 for two-years.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Connecticut bachelor’s degree holder is $25,000 (or 63%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $8,900 (or 22%) more than the median wage of a high school diploma holder; the overall unemployment rate is about 3 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
The Connecticut Board of Regents links directly to each institution’s National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator profile, allowing consumers to access student outcomes and net price information for each school. Its public accountability report is similarly strong. Connecticut does not measure student learning outcomes, but has produced a series of reports that look at the percentage of graduates employed in the state, broken down by institution and program of study.
Policy Environment
Connecticut does not have a set of formal state goals, an outcomes-based funding system, or a statewide articulation and credit transfer policy.
Innovation
The Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium is an online portal for four- and two-year courses and degrees, though the state does not have a goal to advance online learning. Regarding new providers, Connecticut has a highly burdensome approval process and a restrictive regulatory jurisdiction but a minimal financial burden, resulting in an overall below average mark.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
CT Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 20.8 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 83.2 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 58.2 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 23.2 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America | * |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $74,572 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $51,412 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $80,100 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | B |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $25,000 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 162.5 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $20,255 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 166.7 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 5.1 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 10.5 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.7 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | B |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 4 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
CT Nat'l| Student Access & Success | F |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 42.7 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 58.6 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 10.6 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 13.9 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 1 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | F |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $80,674 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $50,367 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $69,470 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 1 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $8,889 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 122.2 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $9,616 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 131.6 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.3 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 6.9 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.92 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | B |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 4 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
CT Nat'l| Policy Environment | F |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | false | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | false | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 0 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | D |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 67% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 60% | |
| Financial Burden | 100% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 40% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | C |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 42.9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 3 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 12
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 9
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 47,947
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 33,957