© CCSR The Educational Attainment of Chicago Public Schools Students: A Focus on Four-Year College Degrees Jenny Nagaoka and Kaleen Healey University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research March 3,

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Chicago has nearly doubled the proportion of CPS ninth- graders estimated to earn bachelor’s degrees 8% 14% Degree Attainment Index for CPS Ninth-Graders 4

© CCSR Chicago is closing the degree attainment gap with the nation and leads other urban districts Degree Attainment Index for Ninth-Graders 5

© CCSR The increase from 8 to 14% is driven by: Dramatic increase in high school graduation Moderate increase in four-year college enrollment Slight increase in graduation from four-year colleges 6

© CCSR The CPS high school graduation rate has improved dramatically Four-Year High School Graduation Rates Among Ninth-Graders

© CCSR The CPS four-year college enrollment rate has improved moderately Four-Year College Enrollment Rates Among High School Graduates 8

© CCSR College graduation rates have not improved much Six-Year Bachelor’s Degree Completion Rates Among Four-Year College Enrollees CPS 49% Slight increase National 59% No real change 9

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© CCSR 11 The proportion of CPS graduates scoring 21 or higher on the ACT increased Percent of CPS Graduates Scoring 21 or Higher on the ACT Note: Percentages and Ns do not include graduates with missing information (1,791 in 2006 and 593 in 2013) 11

© CCSR 12 The proportion of CPS graduates earning a 3.0 GPA or better increased Percent of CPS Graduates With an Unweighted, Cumulative High School GPA of 3.0 or Higher Note: Percentages and Ns do not include charter school graduates or students with missing information (404 in 2006 and 3,109 in 2013).

© CCSR 13 Institutional graduation rates remain low at many colleges that CPS graduates attend Top 10 Four-Year Colleges Attended by CPS Graduates College Institutional Graduation Rate (%) URM Graduation Rate (%) University of Illinois – Chicago5847 Northeastern Illinois University2117 University of Illinois – Urbana8472 Northern Illinois University5432 Southern Illinois University Carbondale4831 DePaul University6861 Chicago State University2120 Columbia College Chicago4130 Western Illinois University5445 Illinois State University7150

© CCSR Graduation rates vary widely, even among colleges that accept similarly qualified students Top 10 Four-Year Colleges Attended by CPS Graduates College Institutional Graduation Rate (%) URM Graduation Rate (%)Selectivity University of Illinois – Chicago5847 Selective Northeastern Illinois University2117 Somewhat Selective University of Illinois – Urbana8472 Very Selective Northern Illinois University5432 Somewhat Selective Southern Illinois University Carbondale4831 Somewhat Selective DePaul University6861 Selective Chicago State University2120 Somewhat Selective Columbia College Chicago4130 Non-Selective Western Illinois University5445 Somewhat Selective Illinois State University7150 Selective 14

© CCSR Implications Improving CPS graduates’ college qualifications, particularly grades, should be a priority Institutional graduation rates matter greatly when choosing a college College completion rates are still low. Better understanding the barriers to completion and what supports are needed is essential 15

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© CCSR Thank you. Jenny Nagaoka Kaleen Healey 17