Certificate Completion Drives Undergraduate Attainment Rates
Ashley Mowreader
April 10, 2025
New National Student Clearinghouse data shows completion rates are up 0.6 percent for the first time in three years, though the number of bachelor’s and associate degree earners declined.
The national undergraduate completion rate rose for the first time in three years last year, with 3.2 million learners earning an undergraduate credential during the 2023–24 academic year, a year-over-year increase of 0.6 percent, according to the most recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
This spring’s “Undergraduate Degree Earners” report, released today, attributes the increase to record-breaking growth in certificates, with 525,200 learners completing one, up 11.2 percent from the year prior. The report found certificate completers sought credentials for a variety of reasons, including to launch directly into a career, to reskill in a new field and to kick-start their postsecondary education.
