National college completion rates remained stable at historically high levels, with 61.1% of students who began college in fall 2019 earning a credential within six years, according to a report released Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
The completion rate marks the fourth consecutive year that the six-year graduation figure has held steady at recent highs, despite the cohort facing significant disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic that began during their second semester.
"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," said Dr. Doug Shapiro, executive director of the center.
The report, which analyzed more than 2.3 million students who entered postsecondary education in fall 2019, found that an additional 9.0% remained enrolled in their sixth year, while 29.8% had stopped out.
The data revealed stark disparities based on students' prior preparation and enrollment patterns. Students with prior dual enrollment experience showed notably higher success rates, with 71.1% earning a credential by year six compared to 57.2% of students without dual enrollment experience.
Full-time students significantly outperformed their part-time peers, with 67.1% completing within six years and only 25.1% stopping out. By contrast, part-time starters had a 51.7% stopout rate and just 34.1% earned credentials in the same timeframe.
Economic background continued to play a decisive role in completion. Students from the most affluent neighborhoods (top 20% income quintile) achieved a 75.9% six-year completion rate, compared to 50.1% for those from the lowest income neighborhoods.
