Southern states have improved their college-transfer processes in the last 10 years, but students still need clearer paths for moving from a two-year to a four-year institution, according to a new report from the Southern Regional Education Board, an education-policy group.

The report, “Clearing Paths to College Degrees,” says the most-successful states have common course-numbering systems, clear transfer guides, and guarantees of transfer, among several other strategies. —Elyse Ashburn