MUSCATINE, Iowa — Elexiana Oliva, a criminal justice major at Muscatine Community College, engaged in a simulated standoff in a lab setting. Though the scenario was not real, the purpose was to prepare students for high-stakes situations. Oliva, determined to become a police detective, plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree after completing her associate degree.
Muscatine Community College is located in an area considered an education desert, far from four-year universities. This is becoming more common as rural colleges close, merge, or cut programs.
“It’s not our fault that we grew up in a place where there’s not a lot of big colleges and big universities,” Oliva said. Iowa is considering allowing community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees, aiming to combat education deserts and prepare rural workers for in-demand fields, a move Oliva supports.
“It would be a big game-changer, especially for those who have a low income or a medium income and want to go and further our education,” Oliva said. Currently, about half of U.S. states allow community colleges to confer bachelor’s degrees in fields like nursing and teaching.
Proposals in states like Illinois and Texas are exploring similar expansions. Texas’s Temple College will soon offer bachelor’s degrees through partnerships with Texas A&M University-Central Texas. Yet, opposition remains in places like Illinois, where university leaders have raised concerns over resource allocation.
Rural areas face unique challenges, with fewer than 25% of rural Americans holding bachelor’s degrees compared to the 33% national average. Community colleges offering bachelor’s degrees could bridge this gap, addressing the shortage of qualified workers.
Community colleges seek more students as enrollments have declined by 39% since 2010. Offering bachelor’s programs could increase full-time enrollment and help meet workforce needs, according to research from the University of Michigan.
In Muscatine, students like Jake Siefers, a psychology major, see value in completing a bachelor’s degree locally instead of relocating. “It would be huge,” he said. “There’s a lot of untapped human potential” in rural areas that could benefit from expanded educational access.
Muscatine Community College President Naomi DeWinter noted the potential benefits for working professionals, such as paraprofessionals aiming to become teachers, amidst a state shortage of nearly 1,000 teaching positions.
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