New Study: Chicago-Based Program Drove Significant Gains in Graduation Rates and Career Outcomes for Community College Students

Seven- and eight-year findings show that wraparound student support through the One Million Degrees–City Colleges of Chicago partnership drove higher graduation rates, stronger career outcomes and increased earnings

CHICAGO, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- One Million Degrees (OMD) — the Chicago-based nonprofit that pioneered a comprehensive approach to boosting completion rates for community college students — and City Colleges of Chicago today announced new long-term results of an ongoing randomized controlled trial conducted by the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab (IEL). The latest findings show that the comprehensive student support model significantly improved degree completion and, seven years after enrollment, increased annual earnings by more than $14,000 on average for students who applied to the program while in high school.

"Community college students have extraordinary drive and talent, but they too often must navigate higher education without the support systems that can help them achieve their full potential," said Dr. Aarti Dhupelia, CEO of One Million Degrees. "This study marks the first time we've been able to measure the long-term labor market impact of the OMD model, and the results are powerful. It's clear that holistic student support can help students earn degrees, secure stable jobs, and build lasting economic mobility."

For more than two decades, One Million Degrees has partnered with City Colleges of Chicago—the largest public community college system in Illinois—to deliver comprehensive support to community college students across the city. What began as a targeted scholarship and coaching initiative has grown into a system-wide collaboration. Together, OMD and City Colleges have worked to design, refine and scale a holistic support model that combines academic advising, career development, personalized coaching and financial assistance with the goal of increasing completion rates and advancing economic mobility for Chicago students.

Launched in 2016, the randomized controlled trial has followed multiple cohorts of community college applicants, with a control group that included some applicants who were accepted to college but never enrolled or enrolled, but never completed. Initial findings released in 2021 showed significant gains in full-time enrollment, first-year persistence, and associate degree completion for students in OMD. The latest results—tracking eight-year degree attainment and seven-year labor market outcomes—are the first to reveal that those gains translate not only into higher completion rates but also measurable improvements in employment and earnings.

Students with Holistic Support Are More Likely to Earn Degrees, Even Years Later. Eight years after the study began, participants were 16% more likely to earn any degree than peers in the control group. The effects were even stronger for students who applied during high school: They were 48% more likely to earn an associate degree and significantly more likely to earn a credential overall compared to peers. Importantly, the results show that associate degree gains do not fade over time, indicating the program is helping more students not only complete college more quickly but also earn more degrees overall.

Students See Increased Earnings and Economic Stability Years Later. The evaluation examined seven-year labor market outcomes using Illinois wage records. By year seven, students who applied during high school earned $14,246 more in average annual wages than comparable peers in the control group, which includes some students who never enrolled in or completed college,($33,664 vs. $19,418), and reflects the program's long-term impact extends beyond graduation into sustained economic mobility.

Compared to a control group, participants were 21% more likely to have a stable job and were also significantly more likely to be enrolled in school or working full time. Among students who applied to OMD during high school, the impacts were substantially larger: They were 83% more likely to be working in a stable job and 90% more likely to be enrolled or working full time compared to peers in the control group. 

"Scaling evidence-based practices has long been one of the hardest challenges in higher education," said Kelly Hallberg, Scientific Director for the Inclusive Economy Lab. "This is the first time we've been able to rigorously track the program's long-term effects on employment and earnings, and the data show sustained improvements in job stability and income. These findings provide rare scientific evidence that comprehensive student support can translate into measurable economic and labor market gains—even years after college entry."

The Inclusive Economy Lab will continue to analyze outcomes as additional wage and education data become available. Future reports will further examine long-term earnings, transfer trends, and bachelor's degree attainment.

View the full working paper here, or visit the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab for more information.

About One Million Degrees: One Million Degrees (OMD) is a Chicago-based higher education 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 over 2,000 scholars in all 7 of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) and is scaling to reach over 3,000 community college scholars through our 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

About the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab: Founded in 2015, The UChicago Inclusive Economy Lab (formerly Poverty Lab) conducts rigorous studies that expand economic opportunity for communities that have been harmed by discrimination, disinvestment, and segregation. The lab partners with policymakers, community-based organizations, and others to identify their most urgent and pressing challenges, co-generate evidence about what works, and translate findings into policy changes that reduce urban poverty and improve people's lives. One of five Urban Labs based at the Harris School of Public Policy, the Inclusive Economy Lab is led by Pritzker Director Marianne Bertrand, Chris P. Dialynas Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the Booth School of Business.

SOURCE One Million Degrees