Completing College: A National View of Student Attainment Rates

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has issued its latest signature report --Completing College: A National View of Student Attainment Rates. The report seeks to provide a more comprehensive picture of college completion rates by utilizing a database that captures a greater number of students in college completion metrics. Unlike the traditional measure of college graduation rates that only includes first time, full-time students who complete at the institution in which they first enrolled, the National Student Clearinghouse’s database allows for the calculation of a college graduation rate that includes completions of both traditional and nontraditional students. Including nontraditional students—students who delay college entry after high school completion, attend on a part-time basis, and students who may attend multiple institutions—is of growing importance as the number of nontraditional students now outpaces the number of traditional students. The report examines the six-year college completion outcomes of first-time, degree-seeking students who enrolled in college in fall 2006.

Among the report’s findings:

• Among students in the Fall 2006 cohort, 81.7% were age 24 or younger upon first entering college and 17.4% were over age 24. By type of starting institution for the Fall 2006 cohort, 44.2% enrolled in a 4-year public, 33.6% in a 2-year public, 19.1% in a 4-year private nonprofit, 2.8% in a 4-year private for-profit, and less than 1% for both 2-year private nonprofit and 2-year private for-profit institutions.
• Over the six-year time period, 41.5% of the Fall 2006 cohort enrolled exclusively full-time, 7.2% enrolled exclusively part-time, and 51.3% had a mixed enrollment (i.e., periods of full-time and part-time enrollment). When looking at enrollment intensity by age, there were significant differences. Among students age 24 or younger, 44.7% were enrolled exclusively full-time, 3.2% were enrolled exclusively part-time, and 52.1% had a mixed enrollment. Among students over age 24, 27.1% were enrolled exclusively full-time, 25% were enrolled exclusively part-time, and 47.8% had a mixed enrollment.
• Among all students in the Fall 2006 cohort, within six years of starting school, 42% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 12.1% had completed a degree or certificate at a different institution, 16.1% were still enrolled in school, and 29.8% were no longer enrolled at any institution. Six-year outcomes were significantly different when looking at the various attendance patterns and when looking at age of first enrollment.
• Among students attending exclusively full-time, 65.6% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 10.6% had completed a degree or certificate at a different institution, 3.7% were still enrolled in school, and 20% were no longer enrolled.
• Among students attending exclusively part-time, 17.5% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 3.1% had completed a degree or certificate at a different institution, 11.4% were still enrolled in school, and 68% were no longer enrolled.
• Among students with a mixed enrollment intensity, 26.3% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 14.6% had completed a degree or certificate at a different institution, 26.8% were still enrolled in school, and 32.4% were no longer enrolled.
• Among students age 24 or younger upon first enrolling in college, 43.4% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 13.4% had completed a degree or certificate at a different institution, 16.9% were still enrolled in school, and 26.4% were no longer enrolled.
• Among students over age 24 upon first enrolling in college, 35.9% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 6.2% had completed a degree or certificate at a different institution, 13.5% were still enrolled in school, and 44.4% were no longer enrolled.
• Six-year completion outcomes also varied by the type of institution at which students in the Fall 2006 cohort first enrolled. 
• Among students starting at a 4-year public institution, 48.6% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 8.7% completed at a different 4-year institution, 3.2% completed at a different 2-year institution, 16% were still enrolled, and 23.4% were no longer enrolled.
• Among students starting at a 4-year private nonprofit, 58.6% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 10.5% completed at a different 4-year institution, 2.4% completed at a different 2-year institution, 10% were still enrolled, and 18.5% were no longer enrolled.
• Among students starting at a 4-year private for-profit, 37.8% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 3% completed at a different 4-year institution, 1.9% completed at a different 2-year institution, 13.8% were still enrolled, and 43.3% were no longer enrolled.
• Among students starting at a 2-year public institution, 23.9% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 9.4% completed at a different 4-year institution, 3% completed at a different 2-year institution, 20.1% were still enrolled, and 43.6% were no longer enrolled.
• Among students starting at a 2-year private nonprofit, 42.6% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 8.6% completed at a different 4-year institution, 3% completed at a different 2-year institution, 13.5% were still enrolled, and 32.3% were no longer enrolled.
• Among students starting at a 2-year private for-profit, 58.1% had completed a degree or certificate at the institution in which they first enrolled, 2.4% completed at a different 4-year institution, 1.2% completed at a different 2-year institution, 8.4% were still enrolled, and 29.8% were no longer enrolled.