Internships and co-ops linked to higher college completion, new CPE study finds

November 13, 2026

Kentucky college students who complete an internship, co-op or practicum for credit are more likely to stay enrolled and finish a credential, according to a new report from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE). The advantage is largest for students who take a work-based learning (WBL) course in their first two years, and for Pell recipients and first-generation students.

CPE President Aaron Thompson presented highlights of the report, Elective Work-Based Learning, Persistence, and Completion in Kentucky Public Higher Education, during Friday’s council meeting. The report is the first statewide look at how these experiences relate to student success. It tracks more than 327,000 first-time students who entered a Kentucky public university or Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) school from fall 2010 through fall 2021.

Key findings include:

• Lower risk of leaving. WBL participants are less likely to stop out each term: 6% versus 10% for non-participants at KCTCS, and 3% versus 5% at public universities.
• Starting early pays off. Students who begin in their first year are about 16 percentage points more likely to stay enrolled through the next year at KCTCS, and about 9 points more likely at universities.
• Gains for students who need them most. Completion roughly doubles for Pell recipients (24% to 49%) and first-generation students (25% to 51%) who participate in WBL as freshmen.
• Finishing the experience counts. Sixty percent of KCTCS students and 86% of public university students who pass a WBL course complete a credential. Rates for non-participants are 21% and 40%, respectively.

The study describes associations rather than proof of cause, but the pattern holds across fields of study and multiple methods. It also shows room to grow. About one in four students (26% of 2021 entrants) takes an elective work-based learning course within normal program time, and part-time, low-income and first-generation students participate least. The study is a companion to CPE’s Work-Based Learning in Kentucky: Policy and Practice Blueprint, released in August 2026. 

“The evidence is clear: work-based learning helps students finish, and it should be the rule in Kentucky, not the exception,” said CPE President Aaron Thompson. “Too many students reach these opportunities late or not at all, especially part-time, low-income and first-generation students who stand to gain the most. We will work with our campuses to set a statewide goal, measure our progress, and give every student the support to turn real-world experience into a credential.” 

CPE will host a free webinar on the findings Monday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT). Report authors Chris Ledford and Miles Feroli of CPE and Natalie Gross of KCTCS will share what the study found. Jessie Schook (C-BEN), Cory Curl (University of Kentucky), Michael Taylor (Centre College) and Annalise Hale, a graduate student at the University of Georgia, will join them to discuss emerging policy trends. 

During the Friday council meeting the following actions were taken:

• Colin Jarrell was sworn in as the new student member. Jarrell is a Master of Public Administration student at Northern Kentucky University. 
• A $1.3 million interim capital project for Morehead State University to rehabilitate and replace critical water lines in need of urgent repair and to create a campus utility master plan to guide future water and sewage infrastructure improvements. 
• A $14 million interim capital project at Bluegrass Community and Technical College’s Winchester campus to renovate approximately 20,000 square feet of the 1919 Rolling Hills Building, pending approval by the KCTCS Board of Regents.
• A $4 million interim capital project to renovate the façade of the Broadway Building at Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC), pending approval by the KCTCS Board of Regents.
• Board appointments:
• AERO Act Advisory Committee: Todd Case, commissioner for the Kentucky Department of Aviation, replacing Brad Schwandt.
• Academic and Strategic Initiatives Committee and the Finance Committee: Collin Jarrell.
• 2027 Nominating Committee: Kevin Weaver, Dennis Repenning and Madison Silvert, who will serve as chair.

Council members also heard a staff update on the degrees and credentials report, and a report about Northern Kentucky University. All materials relating to the Nov. 13 council meeting can be found online.