Students’ Persistence, Retention, and Attainment in Postsecondary Education

The National Center for Education Statistics released a new First Look report today (March 12, 2019) entitled Persistence, Retention, and Attainment of 2011-12 First-Time Beginning Postsecondary Students as of Spring 2017. This report presents findings from the 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12/17) focusing on students’ persistence, retention, and attainment in postsecondary education 6 years after their initial enrollment. Among 2011–12 first-time beginning postsecondary students, 9 percent had completed a certificate, 11 percent had completed an associate’s degree, and 37 percent had completed a bachelor’s degree at any institution within 6 years. Another 12 percent had not earned a credential and were currently enrolled at some institution (6 percent at a 4-year institution and 6 percent at a less-than-4-year institution), while an additional 32 percent had not earned a credential and were not enrolled at any institution as of spring 2017. This report draws on data from the 2012/17 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12/17), a nationally representative longitudinal sample survey that followed 2011–12 first-time beginning postsecondary students through 2016–17. Other findings from BPS:12/17 include the following: Among 2011–12 first-time beginning postsecondary students who first enrolled in a public 2‑year institution, 8 percent had completed a certificate, 18 percent had completed an associate’s degree, and 13 percent had completed a bachelor’s degree at any institution within 6 years. Another 15 percent had not earned a credential but were enrolled somewhere (5 percent at a 4-year institution and 10 percent at a less-than-4-year institution), and 46 percent had not earned a credential and were not enrolled at any institution as of spring 2017. Among 2011–12 first-time beginning postsecondary students who first enrolled in a 4‑year institution, 59 percent had completed a bachelor’s degree, 6 percent had completed an associate’s degree, and 2 percent had completed a certificate at any institution within 6 years. An additional 11 percent had not earned a credential but were enrolled somewhere (8 percent at a 4-year institution and 3 percent at a less-than-4-year institution) and 22 percent had not earned a credential and were not enrolled at any institution as of spring 2017. Within 6 years, 6 percent of 2011–12 first-time beginning postsecondary students had completed a certificate, 11 percent had completed an associate’s degree, and 27 percent had completed a bachelor’s degree at the first institution they attended. A total of 56 percent of students had not completed a credential at their first institution; as of spring 2017, they were still enrolled at their first institution (6 percent), had left their first institution but transferred to another institution (25 percent), or had left their first institution and had not enrolled elsewhere (25 percent)