Ten years after California established the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), this new pathway between community colleges and four-year universities has grown significantly – both in the number of students earning ADTs and the number of campuses offering them. The ADT framework gives thousands of students annually a more seamless and predictable pathway to a four-year degree. Our research identifies positive gains for students in both opportunity and efficiency.

Download our full analysis here.

Download a summary infographic here.

Access to the ADT remains uneven by campus and by field of study, however. Many students face limited offerings depending on the campus they attend. Community colleges that offer fewer ADTs have larger Black and Asian populations than statewide CCC enrollment. Campuses that offer more ADTs have larger Latinx populations. These differences have implications for which students can earn ADTs. These findings suggest room to improve and expand ADT pathways so more students can benefit. 

Download the working paper here.

Wheelhouse is grateful to College Futures Foundation for commissioning this research.