Complete College America Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Complete College America (CCA) builds movements for scaled change and transforms institutions. We envision a nation in which postsecondary institutions, policymakers, and systems of higher education welcome, invest in, and support students through and to on-time completion so that every student-regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or familial educational achievement- has equal opportunity to access and complete a college education or credential of value. To turn this vision into reality, we work to shift policy, perspective, and practice through both systemic and institutional change. Specifically, CCA drives systemic change that leads to better college completion rates; more equitable outcomes; and greater economic and social mobility, especially for historically excluded students. CCA operates at the federal, state, and institutional levels and works with its national network of forward-thinking state and higher education leaders. In 2024, CCA scaled proven strategies through major initiatives like the new Complete College Accelerator, which is working closely with more than 100 institutions across 18 states. We also released our latest publications, including: Ending Unfunded Mandates in Higher Education, which reimagines funding models to better support institutional transformation; Attainment with AI, CCA's playbook that offers specific steps for using the technology to scale strategies that increase college attainment; and The AI Divide, a paper on AI and equity in higher education that lays out the role of the CCA Council on Equitable AI. Since its founding in 2009, CCA has grown from an alliance of 17 states to 51 members spanning states, systems, and consortia. Through this nationwide network, CCA has supported hundreds of institutions in increasing their completion rates and boosting the number of skilled college graduates ready to support the nation's growing economy.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 55.9%; rating input score 56
• Program expense ratio: 94.8%; rating input score 95
• Fundraising efficiency: $139.99 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 42.8%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.55; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 17.8%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 6.3% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 17.4% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings