Persistence and Retention Rates Hit Some of Their Highest Levels in Nearly a Decade

Data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reveals that 86.4% of first-year students enrolled in fall 2023 returned to college in the spring for their second semester, which marks the second-highest persistence rate since 2015 (83.7%). Amid predicted high school graduate declines and demographic shifts, persistence and retention of current enrolled students will assist with institutions enrollment and financial stability. The short and longer-term persistence among college students, as well as retention also reveals disparities among student groups: part-time and older students, students of color, and those who start at community colleges.