10,000 Degrees goal is to address the tremendous unmet need of underserved students in our current regions and beyond by building on our points of difference and outstanding track record. 10,000 Degrees provides the most effective and efficient way to help a large, diverse student population transform their lives for a brighter future through a college education.
Unlike most college support organizations, we do not have a GPA or test score requirement. Our approach is equity-focused, student-centered, and strength-based.
100% are from low-income backgrounds, 89% are Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and People Of Color, and 85% are first in their family to go to college.
We continuously customize and adapt to meet the needs of students, schools, and communities to provide multifaceted support, including college and financial aid counseling, scholarships, financial aid management, and alumni success.
We provide broad matriculation and transfer support through our extensive partnerships with community colleges.
Because our Fellows are recent college grads, mostly 10,000 Degrees alumni, and often share similar lived experiences—these near-peer mentors connect meaningfully with students to help them navigate their college success journey.
Our executive team has considerable longevity, and has served on leadership positions on the boards of the National College Attainment Network and National Scholarship Providers Association. 50%+ of our staff are alumni and are increasingly moving into leadership roles.
100+ volunteer professional leaders serving on our Board of Directors and six Regional Advisory Boards.
Thanks to an anonymous donor, 10,000 Degrees has received a significant multi-year investment to catapult our strategic plan, growing and deepening our reach in our existing regions and beyond.
We receive generous support and major investments from the Marin Community Foundation, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, JP Conte Family Foundation, Wellington Management Foundation, ECMC, Stupski Foundation, NPX Advisors, Sobrato Foundation, and 2,000+ individual donors.
Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, awarded 10,000 Degrees its top rating of Four Stars for nine consecutive years—placing us in the top 9% of all charities they evaluate.
10,000 Degrees has a 40-year track record of steady growth while achieving outstanding student outcomes:
We serve 12,000+ students and their families annually, including 2,400+ college students nationally—and growing.
We provide over $4.8M in scholarships and help to leverage over $27M in free financial aid.
80%+ of our four-year college students earn bachelor’s degrees vs. 31% of their peers nationally.
Our community college students transfer to and graduate from four-year colleges at 3x the national average.
Our college students graduate with 88% less student loan debt than their national peers.
