Community College Honors Programs: Examining the Research Agenda, 1984-2019

Abstract

Across many community colleges, honors programs help prepare students to transfer and excel at four-year institutions. These programs introduce students to more rigorous coursework while providing them access to additional support services. Despite the popularity of these programs, little is known about the scope of the literature on community college honors programs. In response, I use this review to examine 78 texts published between 1984 and 2019 on two-year college honors programs. I find that while scholars have explored a variety of topics on honors programs, only two texts have exclusively focused on student demographics. This is troubling given that honors programs have been previously faulted for their lack of diversity. In addition, nearly all the literature has come in the form of case studies, which severely limits the ability to compare programs with one another. I conclude this review by offering potential areas of further study for researchers and practitioners alike.