Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of...

One Million Degrees, A Comprehensive Support Program for Community College Students

Reviewed

Postsecondary Education
Accurately reported
Credible positive finding

Annenberg Institute (March 2026) posted long-term RCT results for One Million Degrees, a program that provides financial, academic, personal, and professional supports to community college students in the Chicago metro area. This large, high-quality study found modest positive impacts on degree completion (3 percentage points) and on employment (4 percentage points) 7-8 years after study entry.

This paper presents longer-term findings from a randomized controlled trial of One Million Degrees (OMD), a comprehensive support program for community college students in the Chicago metro area that provides financial, academic, personal, and professional assistance.  Results from an initial evaluation found that an offer of a spot in the OMD program led to increased college enrollment, persistence, and associate degree attainment three years after randomization. With eight years of follow-up, we find that these effects persist, indicating the program causes applicants to enroll in and complete more degrees rather than solely accelerating completion.  The impacts are concentrated among students who applied while still in high school compared to continuing community college students. For high school applicants, participation in OMD significantly improved labor market outcomes: in every year after randomization, they were more likely to be enrolled in school full time or employed full time, and by year seven they earned higher wages and held more stable jobs. For students already enrolled in community college, effects on labor market outcomes are positive but not statistically significant. For both high school and community college applicants, we observe positive, albeit insignificant, effects on bachelor’s degree attainment eight years after randomization. Taken together, these findings suggest that OMD improves long-term employment outcomes with effects operating through both increased degree attainment as well as the broader benefits of mentoring and advising. Compared to other holistic support models, we find smaller (though less precise) effects for students already in college, but larger gains in long-run attainment and earnings for students applying directly from high school. This highlights the importance of extending holistic supports to students at the critical decision stage of initial college entry, rather than limiting the offer of supports to those who have already enrolled.

Full Study Report

We have no suggested revisions to the study abstract.

No-Spin’s Study Overview

Large, high-quality RCT of One Million Degrees (OMD), a program providing comprehensive academic, financial, personal, and professional supports to community college students in the Chicago area, finds modest positive impacts on degree completion (3 percentage points) and on employment (4 percentage points) 7-8 years after study entry.

Program:

  • OMD connects participating students with a campus-based program coordinator, who meets with them at least monthly to monitor academic progress, set goals, and connect them to campus resources.
  • Program participants also attend monthly workshops focused on skill-building, networking, and career readiness, where they engage with coaches who provide mentorship and guidance.
  • Participants who are in good standing (e.g., are enrolled full time and attend OMD meetings) receive a stipend of $750–$1,000 per year and are eligible for additional grants.

Study Design:

  • The study randomly assigned 4,896 OMD applicants to a treatment group that was offered program participation or a control group that was not.
  • 61% of sample members were female, 85% were Black or Hispanic, 68% were Pell-eligible, and 59% were first-generation college students. About half the sample were high school students applying to community college; the other half were current community college students at least one year from graduation.
  • 35% of treatment group members (892 students) completed OMD’s provisional acceptance requirements (e.g., applied for federal financial aid for college) and participated in the program.
  • The findings summarized below – eight-year impacts on degree completion and seven-year impacts on employment and earnings – are based on analysis of the first two cohorts to enter the study, comprising 87% of the sample.
  • Based on our review criteria, this was a high-quality RCT.

Findings:

  • Eight years after random assignment, the study found a statistically significant impact of 3 percentage points on the primary outcome of degree completion (40% of the treatment group earned a degree of any type vs. 38% of the control group; the difference was 3 points after rounding).
  • In the seventh year after random assignment, the study found a statistically significant impact of 4 percentage points on employment (76% of the treatment group vs. 72% of the control group were employed during the year). The study also found a 6% ($1,572) increase in earnings, but this finding was not statistically significant and is therefore only suggestive.

Comment:

  • Disclosure: Arnold Ventures, which funds No-Spin Evidence Review, helped fund the RCT of One Million Degrees.

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