Reimagining college and career for working adults

Income inequality

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Rivet School was founded to address the barriers to economic mobility faced by primarily Black, Latino, and first-generation college students. In Los Angeles, these students enroll in college at a rate far below their White and higher income peers. Further, less than 10% of Black and Latino LA community college students earn a degree or certificate within three years, and the transfer rate to four-year institutions remains low. In 2023, recent college graduates earned $24,000 more on average than their peers with just a high school diploma. Holding a college degree continues to be a key determinant for economic and life outcomes, and one that too many of our communities are cut off from obtaining. Rivet School exists to solve this very problem.

Rivet School blends a career-focused online degree with intensive, personalized coaching and practical resources to facilitate BA achievement. We primarily serve working adults aged 25 and older, and are on track to serve over 400 students across California by 2025 (with ~200 enrolled in Los Angeles today). This grant will enable us to broaden our impact in Los Angeles, particularly by enhancing two vital components of our program where to find our students: by partnering with Healthcare employers and K-12 school systems. Our model is designed to foster upskilling in both the healthcare and education sectors. Through our Healthcare Pathway, students not only earn a BA in Healthcare Management, but also prepare for non-clinical roles that require advanced education and offer opportunities beyond entry-level positions. Similarly, participants in our Educator Pathway graduate equipped for careers as certificated classroom teachers. By merging academic qualifications with real-world professional credentials, Rivet empowers graduates to significantly improve their earnings and career trajectories. Our nearly 100 BA graduates to date experience an average wage gain of 56% from pre-enrollment to post-graduation.

Black and Latino graduation rates at all five Los Angeles CSU campuses lag in comparison to White peers. Community colleges in LA have faced declining enrollment, with transfer rates to four-year universities hovering at 10% for students of color. Rivet School serves as a proofpoint for what is possible. Our current students graduate college with zero or minimal debt and at rates that far exceed national and California expectations. By providing a highly supportive path to a BA degree, we aim to be a part of a broader education reform ecosystem in Los Angeles, ensuring that students across communities have the opportunity to not only graduate from college, but to also graduate with a degree and professional credential that will lead to improvements in lifelong earnings.

Rivet School launched in 2018 and we have been running our core model for six years. As of today:
82% of Rivet School students identify as Black or Latino, 45% are parents, and their average starting salary at time of enrollment is $34,000. Retention in program is strong, with over 80% of students retained at the 1-year enrollment milestone, and that number remains steady in future enrollment years — with a 71% overall persistence rate through graduation. 72% of Rivet students, most of whom meet income eligibility for the Pell Grant, are on pace to graduate in six years. Comparatively, only 50% of Pell Grant recipients nationwide graduate in six years.
80% of Rivet graduates have full time work with benefits within 9 months of graduating; graduates on average earn 56% more than they did before completing their degree.
54% of Rivet graduates are debt free. Nationally, 80% of Pell Grant recipients graduate with debt.