College completion rates remain steady for U.S. colleges and universities, with progress stalling over the past year, according to data from The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), which regularly conducts research to support education, workforce and learner success. Its nationwide network of approximately 3,600 postsecondary institutions represent 97 percent of postsecondary enrollment. The full report is available here.
The latest NSCRC data shows that current completion rates of 62.3 percent are essentially the same as last year’s 62.2 percent. This minute increase follows a 1.2 percentage point increase the preceding year. While six-year completion rates improved in more than half of states, improvements were very small overall. Only five states reported an increase of at least one percentage point at all postsecondary institutions: Kentucky, Utah, Louisiana, Maryland and Rhode Island. Completion rates at public four-year institutions dropped by one percentage point driven by declines in 24 states, with the largest drops in Missouri and Vermont.
The report examines the diverse journeys and pathways of students who enter colleges and universities for the first time each year. The study also looks at the degree or certificate completion rate within six and eight years of initial enrollment and includes students who complete after transfer as well as completions at the starting school. That way, NSCRC can present a more accurate picture of how students complete their education. The report shows that these pathways increasingly involve mobility between and across institutions and across state lines, re-entry after pausing their program, and changes in enrollment intensities.
Among the most compelling data are these report highlights:
Ethnic group differences: Completion rates decreased for White, Black and Latinx students but increased for Asian and Native American students.
Gender gap: The completions gap between men and women is growing steadily and the widest seen since 2008. The gender cap in completion rates has increased by 0.6 percentage points over the past two years. The current completion gap is 7.1 percentage points.
Age matters: Traditional aged college students starting college and university in the fall of 2016 saw no change in their six-year completion rate, but older students still lag behind these students, although they continue to make some gains.
Administrators can take measures to help boost the completion rate at their individual institutions. The College Completion Strategy Guide, a collaboration between MDRC, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, The Education Trust and the Institute for College Access and Success, provides clear policy guidance and summarizes research on strategies to boost college completion. The guide aims to advance suitable outcomes for all college students and is aimed to state policymakers and leaders of postsecondary institutions. The guide includes policy briefs that highlight the individual needs of specific student populations that have been historically underserved by postsecondary institutions and outlines equitable policy recommendations.