City Colleges of Chicago Announces Five Year Expansion of Partnership with One Million Degrees to Scale Wraparound Support to Reach Over 3,000 Students Annually

Partnership will scale proven One Million Degrees program, offering a national blueprint for community college student success

CHICAGO, April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- City Colleges of Chicago (CCC)—Illinois' largest community college system, serving more than 73,000 students—today announced a five-year partnership to expand a research-backed student support model that has demonstrated strong long-term impact on persistence, completion, and employment outcomes. Developed by Chicago-based nonprofit One Million Degrees, the program will scale with combined investment from CCC, philanthropic partners, and major donors. Over the next five years, the initiative is expected to serve more than 3,000 students annually, strengthening efforts to remove barriers to college access and completion. 

"Our work with One Million Degrees reflects our commitment to scaling proven supports that surround our students with care and remove barriers to their success," said Chancellor Juan Salgado of City Colleges of Chicago. "This five-year partnership expands our capacity to offer students critical coaching, career and financial supports, and means more Chicagoans will complete credentials, step into thriving careers, and shape our city's future." 

Since its founding in 2006, One Million Degrees has developed and refined a model, in partnership with City Colleges, designed to remove barriers to college access, degree completion, and career success. The program combines personalized coaching, career development, and financial support to help students persist, complete their programs, and transition into the workforce or further education. Eligible students are automatically offered enrollment and may opt out. 

"We're helping shift the conversation on student success from one focused on barriers to one focused on what's possible when we empower students with opportunities and support to achieve their goals," said Dr. Aarti Dhupelia, CEO of One Million Degrees. "In Chicago, we've built and tested a model that shows what it takes to deliver those supports at scale, and the results are clear. The next phase of work is about sharing this playbook with peer institutions, funders, and policymakers, demonstrating the power of public, private non-profit, philanthropic partnership, and creating new opportunities to expand these supports in Chicago, the broader region, and nationwide."   

Since 2022, the OMD program has grown rapidly. What began as a single-campus pilot has grown into a comprehensive, multi-campus initiative now serving more than 2,700 scholars across CCC. Importantly, this initiative has demonstrated a strong return on investment—not only in improved student outcomes, but also in increased retention. 

The expansion builds on a more than 20-year collaboration between City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) and One Million Degrees (OMD), with the past four years marking a period of accelerated growth and system-wide momentum. The first phase of the expansion has been fueled by a bold, shared investment—including $5 million commitments from both City Colleges of Chicago Foundation and the Pritzker Foundation, alongside a $1 million contribution from OMD—totaling more than $20 million. 

The new five-year agreement reflects an institutional commitment by City Colleges to embed holistic, wraparound support as a core part of how the system serves students. City Colleges will make an up to $5M annual investment, covering the majority of program costs. Additional fundraising will be undertaken jointly by the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation and One Million Degrees.   

"In this fast-moving AI age, Chicago's future, and our nation's future, depends on whether more learners and workers can access clear, reliable pathways to good jobs" said Penny Pritzker, Founder and Chairman of PSP Partners and a longtime supporter of City Colleges of Chicago and One Million Degrees. "That vision requires collaboration between educators, employers, and nonprofits to help students persist, graduate, and start their careers. Building on the proven outcomes of this partnership, this long-term investment will expand opportunity, strengthen our workforce, and support inclusive economic growth in Chicago and beyond." 

The partnership has generated strong, long-term results. A decade-long randomized controlled trial by the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab found that students participating in One Million Degrees saw significant gains in persistence, completion, and long-term earnings—including 73% higher likelihood of associate degree completion and earning an average of $14,246 more annually seven years after enrollment. Additional recent data shows that as the program has scaled, persistence rates have continued to improve, demonstrating that its impact is both meaningful and sustainable at scale. 

"What's notable here isn't just strong results for students—it's the way City Colleges of Chicago is embedding holistic student support into the fabric of the student experience. Too often, effective student success programs remain small and peripheral," said Davis Jenkins, senior research scholar at the Community College Research Center. "This work has demonstrated how colleges can invest in evidence-based strategies that deliver integrated academic, financial and career support to thousands of students—offering a compelling national blueprint for advancing student success and economic mobility on a large scale." 

For more information about One Million Degrees, its student support program, or opportunities to partner, visit onemilliondegrees.org

About City Colleges of Chicago: As the city's most accessible higher education engine of socioeconomic mobility and racial equity, City Colleges of Chicago catalyzes our students' capacity to prosper and take part in building a stronger and more just Chicago.

About One Million Degrees: One Million Degrees (OMD) is a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to accelerating community college students' progress on pathways to economic mobility. Through a research-proven model combining intensive coaching, career readiness, and financial support, OMD has helped thousands of students persist, graduate, and launch their careers with a foundation for long-term success. 

Currently, OMD serves more than 2,700 scholars in all seven of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) and is scaling to reach over 3,000 community college scholars annually through its unique partnership with CCC. In addition to direct services, OMD partners with employers across industries to build on-ramps to in-demand jobs through internships and apprenticeships, and supports institutions nationwide to design and implement models of holistic student support. 

Learn more at www.onemilliondegrees.org. 

SOURCE One Million Degrees