6-Year Graduation Rate Holds Steady

"Completion rates at community colleges have been trending upward for the past several years, rising from 41 percent among the cohort that began in 2014 to 43.9 percent in the 2019 group-although that share has remained stagnant over the past two cohorts. In contrast, completion rates at private four-year institutions have declined; though they still have the highest six-year completion rates over all, they've decreased almost three percentage points from their height six years ago."

"The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center's latest report on persistence and retention shows that six-year completion rates held steady from the previous year; 61.1 percent of individuals who started college in 2019 graduated in six years-the same rate as those who began in 2018. The overall six-year completion rate has remained essentially stagnant over the past several years, but it has improved by seven percentage points in the past decade;"

"Across all institutions, 9 percent of the 2019 cohort-which saw the spring semester of their first year interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic-haven't completed their degrees but are still enrolled in their studies, with 57.5 percent of that group now studying at a different institution than where they started. The remaining 29.8 percent have stopped out."

Six-year completion rate for students who started in 2019 was 61.1%, the same as the 2018 cohort. Completion rates at community colleges rose from 41 percent for the 2014 cohort to 43.9 percent for the 2019 cohort, though that share stagnated over the last two cohorts. Private four-year institutions still post the highest six-year completion rates but have declined nearly three percentage points from a peak six years earlier. Across all institutions, 9 percent of the 2019 cohort remain enrolled without completing degrees; 57.5 percent of those are now at a different institution and 29.8 percent have stopped out. Overall six-year completion improved seven percentage points over the past decade from the 2009 cohort. Retention remains a primary focus for higher education leaders.

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