After two years of COVID-19-related disruptions, the percentage of first-time college students sticking with school has returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC).
The report, based on data from institutions representing 97% of U.S. postsecondary enrollment, found that 75.7% of the students entering college in fall 2021 continued their studies in fall 2022, an increase of nearly one point from the previous year, and equaling the average rate for freshmen from 2016-2018.
“It is very encouraging to see that the students who entered college in the second year of the pandemic have stayed enrolled at higher rates,” said Dr. Doug Shapiro, the executive director of the NSCRC, in a statement. “The 0.9 percentage point recovery from the suppressed persistence level of those who started in fall 2020 means nearly 22,000 more students are still in college today.”
The NSCRC found that the gains were caused by an increased number of students remaining at their initial institution. 67.2% of entering students were retained, half a point higher than the pre-pandemic average. The rate of transfer remained flat.
However, not all categories of schools and students saw equal gains. Community colleges and both public and private four-year institutions experienced increases in persistence and retention, but private for-profit four-year schools and primarily associate degree-granting baccalaureate institutions saw declines. And although freshman enrollment hit pre-pandemic marks for several institutional types, community colleges saw continued drops.
According to Dr. Thomas Brock, director of the Community College Research Center at Columbia University, the consequences could be serious.
Dr. Thomas Brock, director of the Community College Research Center at Columbia University
