Guided Pathways is a proven, whole-college framework that enables students to navigate higher education with greater clarity and purpose, supporting them in achieving both educational and career goals.
The model organizes programs around clear maps, embeds proactive advising and wraparound supports, and emphasizes learning with measurable outcomes. As a result, students take fewer excess credits, complete credentials more quickly, and move seamlessly into transfer programs or livingwage employment. Developed by researchers at the Community College Research Center (CCRC), the model addresses the inefficiencies of the traditional “cafeteria-style” approach, where students often face an overwhelming array of choices without adequate direction. Guided Pathways has evolved from a model into a refined, evidence-based framework, strengthened through ongoing implementation across colleges nationwide, which has demonstrated measurable gains student persistence, credential attainment, and pathways to success.
A cornerstone of effective implementation is the redesign of advising systems, shifting from transactional, course-selection support to proactive, relationship-based guidance. Through case-managed advising, success coaching, and integrated use of technology, institutions provide students with sustained, personalized support to navigate program maps, make informed choices, and stay on track toward timely completion. This evolution in advising ensures that students not only enter clear pathways but also receive the ongoing guidance and encouragement needed to persist and succeed.
This case study was developed in collaboration with the Center for Innovation in Postsecondary Education (CIPE), College of Education and Professional Studies at the University of South Alabama, and Community College Research, Praxis, and Leadership (CCRPL), School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh.
This case study highlights six institutions—three community colleges and three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs):
- Community College of Aurora (CCA), located in Aurora, Colorado
- Prince George’s Community College (PGCC), located in Largo, Maryland
- Sinclair Community College (SCC), located in Dayton, Ohio
- Claflin University (CU), located in Orangeburg, South Carolina
- Johnson C. Smith (JCSU), located in Charlotte, North Carolina
- Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Please also visit the resource pages for the other case studies here.