By Jon Marcus. Berevan Omer graduated on a Friday in February with an associate's degree from Nashville State Community College and started work the following Monday as a computer-networking engineer at a local television station, making about $50,000 a year.
That's 15% higher than the average starting salary for graduates -- not only from community colleges, but for bachelor's degree holders from four-year universities. More...

By Preety Sidhu and Valerie J. Calderon. Few leaders believe U.S. colleges and universities are the best. Business leaders have doubts that higher education institutions in the U.S. are graduating students who meet their particular businesses' needs. More than one-third of business leaders agree with the statement "higher education institutions in this country are graduating students with the skills and competences that my business needs." About a third disagree with this statement -- including 17% who strongly disagree -- while another third is neutral. More...

By Eduardo Porter. Marc Jerome, the executive vice president of Monroe College, says his business is being unfairly targeted as corrupt. The graduation rate at Monroe’s two New York campuses, in the Bronx and New Rochelle, is much higher than those at nearby community colleges. More than nine out of 10 of recent graduates tracked by the school in its latest survey either continued their education or found jobs; the survey was responded to by about 70 percent of graduating students, most of whom are low-income blacks and Latinos. And Monroe students have a lower default rate on student loans than the national average for public schools. More...