Why We Exist

We believe higher education has a choice: to continue to reflect the racial, social, and economic injustice in society—or reimagine our systems to be engines of equity, prosperity, and hope. At CCA, we’re building a new system that restores the promise of higher education.

Mission

Complete College America (CCA) is a bold national advocate for dramatically increasing college completion rates and closing institutional performance gaps by working with states, systems, institutions, and partners to scale highly effective structural reforms and promote policies that improve student success.

Vision

CCA envisions a nation where all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or familial educational achievement, have equal opportunities to access and complete a college education or credential of value because postsecondary institutions, policy makers, and systems of higher education welcome, invest in, and support these students through and to an on-time completion.

Who We Are

Our Commitment to Equity

Colleges and universities have historically assumed that a “one-size-fits-all” approach works for most students—and that the rest will somehow figure it out. CCA believes the most impactful colleges create equitable outcomes by understanding the unique needs of every student and building clear, supportive pathways to graduation. CCA staff, Board of Directors and Fellows represent the lived experiences of those we ultimately seek to support: Black, Latinx, low-income, adult, and first generation students. We work with courageous and forward-thinking higher education leaders on campuses serving the most marginalized and minoritized students, using data to identify best practices and advancing the policies, perspectives, and practices that meet the needs of students who have been systematically excluded for far too long.