In an effort to address workforce needs and serve local students and families, a growing number of U.S. community colleges have begun offering bachelor’s degree programs in recent years.

A new national study finds that those offerings – while beneficial to students – can also lead to college-wide increases in tuition and fees.

Study co-author and University of Florida researcher Justin Ortagus joins CPRE Knowledge Hub managing editor Keith Heumiller to discuss the study, and some important implications for higher education policy and future research.

Featured research: Ortagus, Justin C., and Xiaodan Hu. “The Price of Mission Complexity: A National Study of the Impact of Community College Baccalaureate Adoption on Tuition and Fees.” Educational Researcher 48, no. 8 (November 2019): 504–20.