US college completion rate holds steady above 61%: Here’s why dual enrolment makes a difference
The US college completion rate for students who began in fall 2019 has remained steady above 61%, according to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC). The six-year completion rate for this cohort was 61.1%, slightly down 0.3 percentage points from the fall 2018 cohort, highlighting consistent outcomes in recent years, as reported by the Higher Ed Dive.Students who earned college credit in high school were more likely to complete their degrees within six years. The six-year completion rate among prior dual enrolment students reached 71.1%, compared with 57.2% for those who took their first postsecondary courses only after enrolling in college, NSCRC data shows, as quoted by the Higher Ed Dive.Full-time students have higher completion ratesFull-time students consistently outperformed part-time peers. Among fall 2019 entrants, 67.1% of full-time students graduated within six years, nearly double the 34.1% of part-time students, according to NSCRC figures, as reported by the Higher Ed Dive.Doug Shapiro, executive director of the research centre, in conversation with the Higher Ed Dive, said, “Students who started in fall 2019 faced the challenges of the pandemic beginning in their second semester, so the fact that their completion rates remain at recent highs underscores the remarkable strength of our higher education ecosystem.”Gender, age, and economic background affect outcomesCompletion rates also varied by gender, age, and economic background. College women in the fall 2019 cohort graduated at a rate of 64.3%, compared with 58.1% of men, as quoted by the Higher Ed Dive. Students aged 20 or younger at enrolment had a 63.8% completion rate, while those aged 21–24 reached only 35.6%, and students 25 and older graduated at 36.6%, according to NSCRC data shared with the Higher Ed Dive.Economic background was another significant factor. Students from the wealthiest 25% of neighbourhoods graduated at a 75.9% rate, nearly 26 percentage points higher than the 50.1% completion rate for students from the bottom 25%, as reported by the Higher Ed Dive.Dual enrolment gives students an edgePrior college credit earned in high school continues to improve graduation prospects. Shapiro told the Higher Ed Dive, “The recent stability in completion rates reflects the day-to-day efforts of students and institutions to maintain progress toward credentials in a changing environment.” This trend marks the fourth consecutive cohort to surpass a 61% completion rate.
