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Educator Pathway Program
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Our Purpose

College Unbound (CU), focuses on adult learners who have faced significant barriers to attending college. CU coordinates courses, field studies, and in-depth project work to help students develop field-specific knowledge and skills that encourage deep learning. CU fills a unique niche in postsecondary education for returning adult learners with a Bachelor’s Degree program designed around an innovative, personalized, interest/project-based curriculum model.
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Student Experience

Zulema Gonzalez

"...Now I am an example for Latina women who want to achieve their goals while facing barriers."

Troy Robinson

"...After graduation I will find a better paying job to better my life."

Tami Miller

"I used to be a single mother, Nana, sister and friend without a Bachelor's Degree. Now I am all of those titles and more WITH a Bachelor's Degree!"

Shaylene Costa

"I used to be a self proclaimed expert sidekick. Now I am a college level leader."

Shawndell Burney-Speaks

"Now I am a confident Black woman, mother, wife, advocate, and an example of hard work and resilience with my bachelor's degree."
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News & Announcements

Board Chair Dr Wendell Pritchett speaks with Dr James Peterson on Evening WURDs. Featured Photo

Board Chair Dr Wendell Pritchett speaks with Dr James Peterson on Evening WURDs.

Dr. Wendell Pritchett is a Professor of Law and Education at the University of Pennsylvania, author, past University of Pennsylvania interim president & dean, and was the Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Policy for Mayor Nutter. Dr. Pritchett joins Dr. Peterson on Evening WURDs to talk about a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article about a non-profit school called College Unbound to make it easier for adults to finish college, saying - “I call it reparations - to repair a lot of the damage that higher ed has caused."

Hosted by Dr. James Peterson, Evening WURDS is a daily news program dedicated to engaging the WURD community through a critical analysis of the news, culture, and arts stories that resonate with our community. Evening WURDs is committed to thinking together and in community with listeners to identify solutions to the socioeconomic, racial, and political challenges that we face in the 21 st Century.
College Unbound Releases Impact Report Featured Photo

College Unbound Releases Impact Report

The report recaps significant growth over the past two years, following the expansion of program sites, financial updates, stories of impact, and goals for the future.
CU: A Case Study in Growth Featured Photo

CU: A Case Study in Growth

In 2024, CU graduated 125 students, and compared nationally to other open-admissions, private, not-for-profit institutions that have a 31% 8-year graduation rate, CU had a retention/ graduation rate over 80%. This is striking.
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Fast Facts

  • books97% of CU graduates report that they are more marketable as a
    result of earning their degree.
  • faculty87% of CU graduates continued their projects after graduation.
  • 75% of students who started in 2016 have completed their BA in less than 4 years.