CHICAGO (April 15, 2025) – The Partnership for College Completion released a new report today revealing the flaws in Illinois’ higher education transfer system, and how it often fails to provide an affordable path to a bachelor’s degree, particularly for low-income students and students of color. Seamless Success: Transforming College Transfer in Illinois outlines the structural barriers that prevent most community college students from achieving their degree goals, and offers a roadmap for reform.
“In an ideal world, all students in Illinois would complete college at the institution of their choice debt free, with economic mobility and prosperity waiting on the other side of graduation,” said Mike Abrahamson, Associate Director of Research & Policy. “However for some students, that reality depends on an effective and efficient transfer system. The inability of the disparate parts of the system to work together is limiting the future of students and the economy.”
The data is striking. While 80% of Illinois community college students enroll with the intent to transfer and earn a four-year degree, only 35% actually transfer, and just 20% complete a bachelor’s degree. These outcomes are even more bleak for Black, Latinx, and low-income students.
- Only 28% of low-income students transfer, compared to 44% of high-income students.
- Black and Latinx students make up 44% of community college enrollment, but just 31% of transfers to public universities.
- Students who do transfer take on 38% more debt than those who start at four-year schools.
- Transfer students attempt nine more credits on average, delaying graduation and increasing costs.
The report cites a disjointed and opaque transfer process, compounded by underinvestment, limited advising, and outdated institutional policies. These issues make the transfer route more expensive and less successful than students expect it will be, especially for those who need it most. State initiatives like the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) and the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act (STAR Act) were designed to simplify transfers, but the measures suffer from uneven implementation and lack of accountability.
Additionally, the report features student voices that bring the data to life. Many described the process as “murky,” “stressful,” or “overwhelming.” Some considered dropping out entirely due to the administrative and financial toll of transferring.
“Higher education is on the brink of a defining period of monumental change. The challenges facing our sector are shaking the foundations of the system, and yet there is still so much in our power to improve access and completion for students,” said Lisa Castillo Richmond, PCC Executive Director. “We need to come together to design clearly articulated pathways that enable students to successfully move from their institution of origin to a four-year degree.”
Read the full report at partnershipfcc.org/publications/seamless-success/.
PCC will present this report on Monday, June 16, at 8:30 a.m. at Malcolm X College. Along with the To&Through Project, area institutions, state leaders, practitioners and students, attendees will gain insights on Illinois transfer outcomes and areas for potential policy and practice change, as well as engage in dialogue with researchers, policy makers and higher education leaders. Registration and additional details forthcoming.
About the Partnership for College Completion
The Partnership for College Completion (PCC) champions policies, practices, and systems that increase college completion and eliminate degree completion disparities for low-income, first-generation, and students of color in Illinois – particularly Black and Latinx students.
For more information, visit partnershipfcc.org.