We’re excited to release our national report on the challenges to success that community college students face. It’s based on recent surveys of ten community colleges that used the RISC Survey to understand more about how they can help their students succeed.

• Community college students face a dizzying array of demands outside of college that affect their success. Among the top ten challenges most frequently cited, personal issues, such as balancing work and school (first most frequently cited), paying expenses (second), meeting demands of family and friends (third), and health and disabilities (eighth), all present obstacles for many students.
• Students also report obstacles in areas directly related to their college experience, including online classes (fourth), parking on campus (fifth), developmental courses (sixth), faculty (seventh), doing college-level work (ninth), and registering for courses (tenth).
• While students face challenges, they overwhelmingly report a positive community college experience. Ninety-five percent were very likely or somewhat likely to recommend their college to a friend. Ninety-six percent believe their community college education was worth what they paid or worth more than what they paid. Nearly all believe their college helped them meet their educational goals.