Prior to 1994, the foundation classified baccalaureate institutions that awarded more than half of their degrees in the arts and sciences as "Liberal Arts Colleges I & II," with the distinction between the two based upon the selectivity of admissions standards.

For their part, junior colleges recognized the practical advantages of inviting geographically proximate senior college and university partners to complete the baccalaureate option.

Because bachelor's degree attainment rates will be lower than the total degree attainment rate, and because the eight-year bachelor's degree completion rate among transfer students (based on the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 [NELS:88]) is higher than the 5-year completion rate reported by BPS:89, the estimates may not capture all reverse transfer students who eventually attain the baccalaureate.