Raising the Graduation Rates of Low-Income College Students

As a group, colleges that serve large percentages of low-income students have lower graduation rates than other colleges. However, among the colleges that serve low-income students there is also considerable variation in graduation rates, differences that suggest a strategy for studying and improving college outcomes.

This report presents the findings of a study designed by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education to identify the institutional characteristics, practices, and policies that might account for differences in retention and graduation rates among colleges and universities that serve high concentrations of low-income students. The Lumina Foundation for Education supported the study in an effort to learn and share effective practices for fostering student success.