College Access & Completion

Learn more about efforts to expand who goes to college and to help all students who enroll get their degree
Students walk in the hallways on the first day of school at Heritage High School in Saginaw, Mich. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026 .
Students walk in the hallways on the first day of school at Heritage High School in Saginaw, Mich., on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. Dual-enrollment classes for high school students have grown increasingly common in recent years. A new study finds socioeconomically disadvantaged students are more likely to fail such classes, but that even those students who fail are more likely than peers to enroll in college.
Kaytie Boomer/mlive.com via TNS
College & Workforce Readiness Students Who Fail Dual-Enrollment Classes Still Benefit, a New Study Says
The study looked into dual-enrollment failures and participating students' eventual college enrollment.
Mark Walsh, August 25, 2026
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5 min read
Students, from left, Araiza Maldonado Basilio, Alexa Velasquez Mendoza and Leslie Sandoval Reyes, open letters in 2023 informing them which Minnesota colleges and universities they were pre-accepted to as part of the state's Direct Admissions program.
From left, students Araiza Maldonado Basilio, Alexa Velasquez Mendoza, and Leslie Sandoval Reyes open letters in 2023 informing them which Minnesota colleges and universities they were pre-accepted to as part of the state's Direct Admissions program. As families conduct college searches, AI is playing a growing role in helping families understand and discover college choices, a new survey found.
Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS
College & Workforce Readiness AI Gains Ground as a College-Search Tool for Parents
A survey of parents of high school students finds more are turning to AI for information about college choices.
Mark Walsh, August 6, 2026
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2 min read
LE - A person walks outside of the Gates Foundation campus on April 30, 2025, in Seattle.
A person walks outside of the Gates Foundation campus in Seattle on April 30, 2025. The foundation announced future investments in efforts to help students secure the education and credentials needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving workforce.
Lindsey Wasson/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Gates Foundation Puts Heavier Emphasis on Career Readiness. Math Is Still a Priority
The foundation has set a broad goal to help students prepare for a rapidly evolving workforce.
Alyson Klein, July 29, 2026
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7 min read
Georgia State University students Kavita Javalagi, left, and Gana Natarajan, second from left, speak with Shetundra Pinkston, during the Startup Student Connection job fair, March 29, 2023, in Atlanta. Georgia officials launched a program that year to match high school students to college opportunities and has seen enrollment increases at both technical and four-year colleges since.
Georgia State University students Kavita Javalagi, left, and Gana Natarajan, second from left, speak with Shetundra Pinkston, during the Startup Student Connection job fair, March 29, 2023, in Atlanta. Georgia officials launched a program that year to match high school students to college opportunities and has seen enrollment increases at both technical and four-year colleges since.
Alex Slitz/AP
College & Workforce Readiness How States Are Streamlining College Admissions—and Who Benefits
Direct-admissions programs aim to streamline the college admissions process.
Evie Blad, July 17, 2026
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3 min read
Boone Williams, 20, center, talks to other students in the apprentice training program class at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 572 facility in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Williams says eventually he expects to earn far more than friends who took quick jobs after high school. He even thinks he’s better off than some who went to college — he knows too many who dropped out or took on debt for degrees they never used. “In the long run, I’m going to be way more set than any of them,” he says.
Boone Williams, 20, center, talks with students in an apprentice training class at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 572 facility in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 2, 2023. Programs like this reflect growing interest in career pathways as more students weigh alternatives to traditional four-year college degrees.
Mark Zaleski/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Not All Students Are College-Bound. More Schools Are Paying Attention
The "college for all" rallying cry is quieting down, even at traditional college-prep high schools.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 29, 2026
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5 min read
Scranton High School student Elizabeth Kramer participates in the Program 3-D Prototyping during Luzerne County Community College's STEM Technology Day on Monday, February 17, 2020, in Nanticoke Pa. More than 100 students from four school districts will attend. The students were part of "Talent Search," an Educational Opportunity Center program. The Talent Search program identifies and assists individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education.
Scranton High School student Elizabeth Kramer participates in a 3-D prototyping program at Luzerne County Community College's STEM Technology Day on Feb. 17, 2020, in Nanticoke, Pa. The students were supported by Talent Search, funded by a federal program that identifies and helps economically disadvantaged students who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The Trump administration seeks to broaden the program to include more workforce-based training.
Mark Moran/The Citizens' Voice via AP
College & Workforce Readiness Trump Admin. Makes Workforce Training a Focus in College-Access Program
The feds seek changes to a program designed to help low-income secondary students access higher education.
Sarah Schwartz, March 27, 2026
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3 min read
Rear view of young adult students walking through a campus
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College & Workforce Readiness Interactive The Changing Face of College Applications, By the Numbers
New first-time college applicant data from the Common App found a growing number of students sending in test scores in their applications.
Ileana Najarro, August 15, 2025
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4 min read
United States refugee question and immigration government policy as extreme vetting for banned newcomers in America as the cast shadow of international migrants on a wall with a US flag with 3D illustration elements.
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English Learners Explainer Common Questions Educators Have About Immigration, Answered
While K-12 educators aren't meant to be immigration experts, researchers say some basic knowledge can help them serve immigrant students.
Ileana Najarro, June 26, 2025
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4 min read
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Mathematics Is Calculus or Stats More Advantageous for Student Success? It's Complicated
Both groups of students are equally likely to get bachelor's degrees and make similar amounts of money.
Sarah Schwartz, April 23, 2025
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6 min read
Three high school boys and one high school girl work together on an experiment in AP chemistry class.
Three high school boys and one high school girl work together on an experiment in AP chemistry class.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Equity & Diversity Anti-DEI Policies Are Ramping Up—With Big Implications for College Access
A new study looks at how students of color could be affected by policies that ban DEI efforts.
Jennifer Vilcarino, April 14, 2025
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6 min read
Photograph of a group of Latin American students studying together around a table at the library.
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College & Workforce Readiness What to Know When Advising College-Bound, Undocumented Students
K-12 educators can make a difference in whether undocumented students pursue higher education.
Ileana Najarro, February 26, 2025
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6 min read
Jeffrey Neill, director of college counseling at Graded - The American School of São Paulo in Brazil, presents on how to use AI tools in his work at the College Board’s annual forum in Austin, Texas on Oct. 21, 2024.
Jeffrey Neill, director of college counseling at Graded: The American School of São Paulo in Brazil, presents on how to use AI tools in his work at the College Board’s annual forum in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024.
Ileana Najarro/Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Q&A This Counselor Used AI to Help Students Apply to College. Here's How
Jeffrey Neill shares his tips on when it makes sense to use AI in the college application process.
Ileana Najarro, October 23, 2024
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6 min read
Illustration of students
Muhamad Chabib alwi/iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness What the Research Says How Well Do Dual-Credit Students Do in College? A Look in Charts
New data show some students get more access—and more leverage—from taking postsecondary classes in high school.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 18, 2024
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3 min read
In this May 5, 2018, file photo, graduates at the University of Toledo commencement ceremony in Toledo, Ohio. On the bumpy road to repayment this fall, student loan borrowers have some qualms. Borrowers filed more than 101,000 student loan complaints with the Federal Student Aid office in 2022 – more than double from 2021 – and that number is poised to increase further as October payments approach.
In this May 5, 2018, file photo, graduates at the University of Toledo commencement ceremony in Toledo, Ohio. New Common App data show that more high school students are applying to public institutions.
Carlos Osorio/AP
College & Workforce Readiness The Common App Used to Be Primarily for Private Colleges. That’s Changed
Educators advising students in college applications should know that the Common App has expanded its membership beyond private schools.
Ileana Najarro, August 30, 2024
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4 min read