Reimagining Math Pathways for Today’s Student

In 2013, the USG convened a systemwide taskforce on Transforming College Mathematics.  The taskforce report noted, “Most students in System colleges now take College Algebra as their entry-level mathematics course. College Algebra was designed explicitly to meet the needs of students who are preparing to take Precalculus and Calculus. Most students in non-STEM majors would be better served by enrolling in Quantitative Skills and Reasoning or Introduction to Mathematical Modeling…[which] were designed to meet the needs of non-STEM majors and include significant real-world applications. They are appropriate, rigorous mathematics courses for a broad array of non-STEM programs of study in which deep knowledge of and facility with basic mathematics are essential to prepare students for responsible citizenship”. 

The Mathematics Pathway Movement 

Developed between 2012 and 2018, the Math Pathways framework asked individual academic disciplines an essential question: Which specific mathematics course is the optimal fit for your major's workforce and academic requirements?  Depending on institutional optional options, this included pathways for Quantitative Reasoning (MATH 1001), Mathematical Modeling (MATH 1101), and Elementary Statistics (MATH 1401) alongside traditional College Algebra (MATH 1111). 

Key Disciplinary Insights & Patterns 

• The Ubiquity of Single-Course Requirements: Across the system, 21 out of 25 institutions do not require a second mathematics/statistics course (including data science) in their general education core, allowing students to take computer science instead. Because this single course represents the entirety of a student’s college-level math experience, its foundational relevance is paramount. 

• The Default Pathway is still College Algebra: Over 50% of students enrolling in one of the four courses above take College Algebra.  Further, 15% of those in the other courses subsequently enroll in College Algebra. This indicates a mismatch in institutional advising and/or understanding of the courses themselves which undermines the pathway's intent. 

• Calculus is rarely taken by College Algebra Students: Only 15% of Fall 2023 students who enrolled in College Algebra had taken Calculus by Fall 2025.  With College Algebra being designed for those who take additional mathematics, much of the course content is not relevant to the majority of enrollees. 

What is the modern-day purpose of College Algebra? 

While historically used as preparation for further in Precalculus and Calculus, probability of success (POS) models shows that such students do not benefit from starting at College Algebra and, in fact, are less likely to succeed.   

• The POS in Precalculus given a student has not taken College Algebra is nearly identical as the POS in College Algebra.  If we were to look at the compound effect of taking college algebra followed by Precalculus, even with an unrealistic assumption that 95% of students passing College Algebra will pass Precalculus, the combined probabilities of passing College Algebra and then passing Precalculus would be lower the probability of passing Precalculus without taking College Algebra. 

• The POS in Calculus given a student took only Precalculus is higher than that of students who took both Precalculus and College Algebra for HSGPAs at/above 3.0.  This accounts for 92% of all students in Calculus from Fall 2022 – Fall 2025.  For HSGPAs below 3.0, the opposite holds but the confidence intervals overlap even for HSGPAs below 2.0.  However, when we look at the compounded probability of having to pass College Algebra, then Precalculus, then Calculus, its clear that a prerequisite course in College is detrimental with the probability of success being 20+ percentage points lower than if students only take Precalculus and Calculus. 

Nearly all of the content in College Algebra is developed in 9^th-11^th grade mathematics.  So the content is a review for the majority of students who choose majors requiring Calculus.  Now, this doesn’t mean students have mastered this material so there is clear need for supplementing their experiences in Precalculus and Calculus to get that content when needed.  There is also need for deep thinking to improve rates in Precalculus and Calculus in general.  For a HSGPA of 3.0, the POS in Precalculus is 54% and the POS in Calculus in 56% based on Fall 2022-Fall 2025 data. 

So if the purpose of College Algebra really isn’t for preparation in Mathematics, what is it?  It is often a prerequisite for Accounting, Economics, and Chemistry, but not at all USG institutions.  In Complete College America’s 2025 Formula for Success: How to Support Every Student Through Math Pathways, College Algebra was removed from their math pathways with the STEM pathway beginning with Precalculus (with corequisite support for academically underprepared students). 

Curricular Questions for Faculty & Leadership 

Institutions should identify all courses outside of mathematics that have a mathematics prerequisite.  Then ask the question: what are the knowledge, skills, and abilities students need to be successful in subsequent courses, in various majors, and in their careers.  Now is the time to rethink each of the mathematics pathways and ensure we are designing them with the relevant and purposeful content they need to success in college, in their career, and in life.