Dr. Doug Shapiro
The 2025 Persistence and Retention report is the latest in a series that tracks the percentage of students that stay in college after their freshman year, and now, for the first time, includes data on the percentage of students that remain in college after their first semester.
The report also finds that 83.7 percent of students returned to their same institution for their second semester. The results indicate that 13.6 percent of 2023 freshmen were no longer enrolled by the spring term and 2.6 percent of students had transferred institutions by the spring.
“We’ve been focused on second fall persistence for years, but that’s too long to wait for many institutions, who seek earlier indicators of student success,” said Dr. Doug Shapiro, executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, in a statement.
“Today’s report helps schools focus on supporting students who are at risk sooner. This is especially important for part-time students, older students and those who start at community colleges, where first spring persistence rates are lower,” Shapiro added.
The Persistence and Retention report series examines early college enrollment outcomes for beginning postsecondary students, tracking both first spring and second year persistence and retention rates. Students are considered persisted if they remain enrolled at any institution and retained if they remain at their starting institution — either in the spring term following initial enrollment (first spring) or in the fall of their second academic year (second fall).
Please click here for more information about the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
