Persistence and retention rates hit some of their highest levels in nearly a decade
Ben Unglesbee
June 26, 2025
Over 86% of first-year students returned to college in the spring, according to the latest data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Dive Brief:
Among first-year students enrolled in fall 2023, 86.4% returned to college in the spring for their second semester, which marks the second-highest persistence rate since 2015, according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Retention rates hit their highest level since 2015 — the first year covered by the study — with 83.7% of students returning to the same institution for their second semester. Another 2.6% transferred to another institution, while 13.6% didn’t return for the spring.
At 77.6%, persistence into the second fall semester also hit its highest level in the past nine years, according to the research center.
Dive Insight:
As the number of high school graduates enters a long-anticipated decline, retention and persistence will likely take on heightened importance as colleges work to keep the students they have to maintain enrollment and revenue stability.
