Rural students were poised to struggle amid COVID-19.
The Federal Communications Commission found that a quarter of Americans – 14.5 million people – in rural areas lack broadband Internet access. Pre-pandemic, rural completion rates were already low with only 42% of students from rural high schools graduating college within six years, according to a 2018 National Student Clearinghouse Research Center study.
That’s why Education Design Lab, a nonprofit for innovation in higher education, will focus on supporting rural community colleges in its new initiative, called “Building Rural Innovation, Designing Educational Strategies” or “BRIDGES.”
Read Next
The Illusion of Neutrality in Higher Education
September 29, 2025
