Community colleges play a crucial role in serving a diverse student population in the United States, particularly immigrants and students who grew up speaking languages other than English. These students face unique challenges in pursuing higher education, but supporting their educational goals is essential for both campus enrichment and the overall strength of the country.
A significant percentage of public community college students (37.3%) are either first-generation immigrants (13.8%) or have at least one foreign-born parent (23.5%). This percentage is higher compared to students in four-year colleges and universities. In public four-year institutions, only 32.9% of students fall into these categories. The numbers are even lower for private, not-for-profit four-year colleges and universities (28.9%) and for-profit four-year institutions (30.8%).
Community college students also have diverse language backgrounds. More than a quarter (27.3%) of public community college students reported that a language other than English was at least partially the first language they learned to speak. Additionally, nearly a quarter of these students stated that they used a language other than...