Transfer and Progress

Transfer and Progress

Transfer enrollment represents 13.2 percent of all continuing and returning undergraduates in fall 2023. The number of students who transferred into a new institution in fall 2023 grew 5.3 percent in fall 2023 compared to fall 2022 (+62,600), driven by students transferring from a two-year institution to a four-year institution (upward transfer, +7.7%).

Postsecondary Data Partnership Insights

Postsecondary Data Partnership Insights

The PDP Insights report focuses on students’ first year credit completion ratio (CCR) and credit accumulation rate (CAR). These early momentum measures can offer insights into students’ progression toward degree completion and provide indicators of when and where gaps in ultimate degree attainment between groups may begin.

Completing College

Completing College

The Completing College report series provides a comprehensive overview of postsecondary completion trends nationally and by state. For all students who enter postsecondary education for the first time each year, it examines the diverse pathways the student traversed toward completion, as well as a degree or certificate completion rate within six and eight years of enrolling.

Stay Informed

Stay Informed

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities are pressed to re-evaluate their long- and short-term strategies, particularly as they pertain to enrollment management and student support services. The Research Center’s Stay Informed report series continues to enable educational and policy leaders to make informed decisions through timely enrollment trend reporting that began with the pandemic.

COVID-19: Transfer, Mobility, and Progress

COVID-19: Transfer, Mobility, and Progress

As the ninth report in the series, this edition highlights notable transfer enrollment changes and student persistence post-transfer over a two-year period since the pandemic started, disaggregated by academic year, student demographic characteristics, and institution sector and selectivity.

Tracking Transfer

Tracking Transfer

The 2022 update shows that of those who began postsecondary education at a community college in fall 2015, lower-income students were nearly half as likely than their higher-income peers to have transferred to a four-year institution (25% vs. 41%) and to have attained a bachelor’s degree within six years of first entry (11% vs. 22%).

High School Benchmarks –  2019

High School Benchmarks – 2019

This seventh annual report provides the most current data on high school graduates’ postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion outcomes. It provides the most relevant benchmarks for evaluating and monitoring progress in assisting students to make the transition from high school to college. This year’s report examines the immediate college enrollment for high school graduating class of 2018, persistence for class of 2016, and completion for class of 2012. We continue to see large gaps between higher-income and low-income high schools on all fronts.

Completing College – National – 2016 – Eight Year Outcomes Supplement

Completing College – National – 2016 – Eight Year Outcomes Supplement

This fifth annual report on national college completion rates offers a look at the six-year outcomes for students who began postsecondary education in fall 2010, toward the end of the Great Recession. It looks at the various pathways students took toward degree completion, as well as the completion rates through May 2016 for the different student types who followed each pathway.

Completing College – National – 2018

Completing College – National – 2018

This sixth annual report on national college completion rates offers a look at the six-year outcomes for students who began postsecondary education in fall 2011. It looks at the various pathways students took toward degree completion, as well as the completion rates through June 2017 for the different student types who followed each pathway.

High School Benchmarks –  2018

High School Benchmarks – 2018

Our sixth annual report provides the most updated data on high school graduates’ college access, persistence, and completion outcomes. The report provides the most relevant benchmarks for evaluating and monitoring progress in assisting students to make the transition from high school to college.

Transfer & Mobility – 2018

Transfer & Mobility – 2018

This third report on transfer and mobility examines multiple transfer pathways for the cohort of students who started postsecondary education in fall 2011. It analyzes student enrollment patterns across different institutions and across state boundaries, including — for the first time — disaggregations by race and ethnicity.

Completing College – National – 2017

Completing College – National – 2017

This sixth annual report on national college completion rates offers a look at the six-year outcomes for students who began postsecondary education in fall 2011. It looks at the various pathways students took toward degree completion, as well as the completion rates through June 2017 for the different student types who followed each pathway.

High School Benchmarks –  2017

High School Benchmarks – 2017

Our fifth annual report provides the most updated data on high school graduates’ college access, persistence, and completion outcomes. The report provides the most relevant benchmarks for evaluating and monitoring progress in assisting students to make the transition from high school to college.

Persistence & Retention – 2017

Persistence & Retention – 2017

Of all students who started college in fall 2015, 73.4 percent persisted at any U.S. institution in fall 2016, while 61.1 percent were retained at their starting institution. The persistence rate is the percentage of students who return to college at any institution for their second year, while the retention rate is the percentage of students who return to the same institution.

Yearly Success & Progress Rates – 2017

Yearly Success & Progress Rates – 2017

By the end of year four, 40.5 percent of individuals who began college in fall 2010 as full-time degree-seeking students had completed a postsecondary credential, while 24.5 percent were no longer enrolled. By the end of year six, 61.1 percent had graduated, while 28.5 percent had left college without earning a credential.

Completing College – National – 2016

Completing College – National – 2016

This fifth annual report on national college completion rates offers a look at the six-year outcomes for students who began postsecondary education in fall 2010, toward the end of the Great Recession. It looks at the various pathways students took toward degree completion, as well as the completion rates through May 2016 for the different student types who followed each pathway.

High School Benchmarks – 2016

High School Benchmarks – 2016

Our fourth annual report provides new data on high school graduates’ college access, persistence, and completion outcomes. The data in this report are presented for students from different types of high schools, such as low versus higher income and low versus high minority, to enable more focused discussions, particularly about low income and minority students traditionally not well served by higher education.

Time to Degree – 2016

Time to Degree – 2016

This report examines time to degree completion for a cohort of students who earned an associate degree as their first and only postsecondary degree or a bachelor’s degree as their first four-year degree between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. Overall, the average time enrolled for associate and bachelor’s degree earners was 3.3 years and 5.1 years, respectively. However, as the report shows, the time required for successful degree attainment could be influenced by the pathway the student followed as well as by factors, such as stop outs and less than full-time enrollment status.

Post-Bachelor’s Two-Year Enrollment – 2016

Post-Bachelor’s Two-Year Enrollment – 2016

During the Great Recession, there was a slight increase in the percentage of bachelor’s degree earners who opted to continue their educations at two-year institutions. However, that percentage has now dropped well below pre-recession levels, with only 5.8 percent of 2013-14 bachelor’s degree earners having returned to college at two-year institutions.

Certificate & Associate Degrees – 2016

Certificate & Associate Degrees – 2016

Of all associate degrees reported to the National Student Clearinghouse for the 2009-10 academic year, 536,351 were earned by students with no previous degrees or certificates. Within the next six academic years, over 64 percent of these students enrolled at a four-year institution and 41 percent earned a bachelor’s degree.

Student Mobility – 2016

Student Mobility – 2016

During the 2014-15 academic year, 9.4 percent of all students attended more than one institution, a figure that has remained constant for the last three years. In each year shown, the mobility rate was highest for students who began the academic year at a two-year public institution.

Yearly Success & Progress Rates – 2016

Yearly Success & Progress Rates – 2016

This snapshot goes beyond traditional measures of postsecondary attainment by tracking the fall 2009 entering cohort over time, and showing persistence, stop-out, and completion rates at the end of each subsequent academic year. The model tracks outcomes for both full-time and part-time starters, and takes spring and summer terms into account.

Completing College – National – 2015

Completing College – National – 2015

Signature Report 10 from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center provides six-year outcomes for first-time degree-seeking students, including former dual enrollment students, who started in postsecondary education institutions in fall 2009. It offers a look at the attainment rates for students who began their postsecondary education as the Great Recession was ending.

High School Benchmarks – 2015

High School Benchmarks – 2015

Our third annual report provides new data on high school graduates’ college access, persistence, and completion outcomes, including completions in STEM fields. Data are presented for students from different types of high schools, such as low versus higher income and low versus high minority, to enable more focused discussions about low income and minority students traditionally not well served by higher education.

Transfer & Mobility – 2015

Transfer & Mobility – 2015

This second report on transfer and mobility, examines multiple transfer pathways for the cohort of students who started postsecondary education in 2008. It reveals how student enrollment patterns that involve multiple movements among two or more institutions and across state boundaries has become the new normal, demonstrating the need for a comprehensive view of student transfer and mobility to inform education policymaking and institutional improvement efforts.

Degree Pathways – 2015

Degree Pathways – 2015

Of all associate degrees earned in 2008-09 that were reported to the National Student Clearinghouse, 488,046 were found to be the first postsecondary credential earned by a student. Forty-one percent of these students went on to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years.

Current Term Enrollment – Fall 2014

Current Term Enrollment – Fall 2014

In fall 2014, overall postsecondary enrollments decreased 1.3 percent from the previous fall. In fall 2014, enrollments decreased among two-year public institutions (-6.0 percent) and four-year for-profit institutions (-0.4 percent). Enrollments increased among four-year public institutions (+2.2 percent) and four-year private non-profit institutions (+1.6 percent).

Completing College – National – 2014

Completing College – National – 2014

Signature Report 8 from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center provides six-year outcomes for first-time degree-seeking students, including former dual enrollment students, who started in postsecondary education institutions in fall 2008. This is the first look at the attainment rates for students who began their postsecondary education during the Great Recession.

High School Benchmarks – 2014

High School Benchmarks – 2014

Our second annual report provides high school-to-college transition rates for graduates of public non-charter, public charter, and private high schools. For students of public non-charter high schools the rates are reported in 12 categories based on the school-level demographic and geographic characteristics.

Current Term Enrollment – Fall 2014

Current Term Enrollment – Spring 2014

In the current term (spring 2014), overall postsecondary enrollments decreased 0.8% from the previous spring. Enrollments decreased among four-year for-profit institutions (-4.9 percent) and two-year public institutions (-2.7 percent). However, enrollments increased slightly among four-year public institutions (+0.7%) and four-year private non-profit institutions (+2.0%).

Completing College – National – 2013

This second annual report on national college completions rates continues to respond to the limitations of institution-based research by focusing on student-level data, tracking the completion of postsecondary certificates and degrees among first-time degree-seeking students who started their postsecondary education in fall 2007 and tracking their enrollments nationwide for six years, through the spring of 2013. The report also introduces an enhancement to the first Completions Report by including in the cohort students who entered college with prior experience in college-level courses through dual enrollment opportunities while still in high school.

Current Term Enrollment – Fall 2013

In fall 2013, overall postsecondary enrollments decreased 1.5% from the previous fall. In fall 2013, enrollments decreased among four-year for-profit institutions (-9.7 percent) and two-year public institutions (-3.1 percent). However, enrollments increased slightly among four-year public institutions (+0.3%) and four-year private non-profit institutions (+1.3%).

Completing College – National Extra – 2013

This Signature Completions Extra will present the six-year outcomes for the fall 2007 cohort, not including dual enrollment students. The data will allow readers to compare the fall 2007 cohort results to the fall 2006 cohort results that were presented in November 2012 as part of Signature Report 4, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s first college completion study.

Completing College – National – 2012

In our fourth Signature Report, we examine the various pathways that students take to complete a college degree or certificate. Our report goes beyond traditional graduation rate calculations that focus on first-time full-time students who finish at their starting institution to provide the most comprehensive look at student outcomes on today’s campuses.

Student Mobility – 2012

On average, 15.1 percent of all U.S. postsecondary students who received undergraduate degrees in 2010-11 had previously attended college in at least one other state or territory. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has identified the percentage of undergraduate degree completers in the 2010-11 academic year who had prior enrollments in at least one other state or territory.

Reverse Transfer – 2012

In our third Signature Report, we examine enrollment pathways of reverse transfer students, those who moved from four-year to two-year institutions outside of summer months. Understanding this type of student mobility can help campus policymakers at both two-year and four-year institutions craft policies that will help institutions reach their enrollment goals and better assist students in making decisions about their educational pathways.

Transfer & Mobility – 2012

In our second Signature Report, we analyze students’ transfer behaviors to better understand their postsecondary pathways. A detailed view of transfer rates is critical in helping institutions and policymakers develop strategies and policies that facilitate successful outcomes.

Concurrent Enrollment – 2011

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 3.2% of all students attended two or more postsecondary institutions concurrently during its one-year study period. Concurrent enrollment in this report occurs when a student’s enrollment at two or more postsecondary institutions overlaps by at least 30 days.

Student Mobility – 2011

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 8% of students attended more than one postsecondary institution in 2010-2011. The most mobile students were those with both full- and part-time statuses, with 17.2% of these students attending more than one institution during a single year.

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