Reaching Missouri’s Big Goal for Higher Education: Lessons from High School Graduates’ College Access and Success
By Misti Jeffers
Over the past decade, Missouri has been working to reach its “Big Goal” to have 60% of its working-age adults attain a postsecondary certificate or degree by 2025. This brief describes Missouri’s approach to reaching its Big Goal for higher education.
Key Points:
Missouri has not clearly articulated milestones for reaching the Big Goal.
Immediate college enrollment has declined (7% from 2011 to 2019), especially in community colleges, shrinking the pool of young adults counting toward the 60% goal.
Only half of Missouri high school graduates who enrolled in college each year as first-time, full-time (FTFT) students did so at Missouri public IHEs, contributing to “brain drain” with likely implications for Missouri’s workforce.
A significant proportion of FTFT students fail to persist past the first year or eventually obtain a credential within six years, adding to the ranks of adults with “some college, no degrees.”
Please Cite As: Jeffers, M. (2022). Reaching Missouri’s Big Goal for Higher Education: Lessons from High School Graduates’ College Access and Success. Policy Research in Missouri Education, 4(6). Saint Louis University. https://www.sluprime.org/policy-brief-database/reaching-mo-big-goal-for-higher-education
