Research Reports
Beyond the Gridiron: Academic Pathways that Power Football
An exploration of the diverse academic backgrounds and credentials that support the business and operations side of collegiate and professional football. This includes both postsecondary education and non-degree credentials, which are essential to maintaining the integrity and performance standards of the football industry.
Tracking Transfer Report Reveals Student Pathway Insights
Our latest Tracking Transfer report offers detailed analysis of student pathways from two-year to four-year institutions, focusing on transfer patterns, demographics, and degree completion outcomes. This expanded report includes data on dual enrollment students and highlights the effectiveness of transfer pathways in supporting degree attainment.
High School Income Level Drives Postsecondary Success
According to the 2025 High School Benchmarks Report, income disparities between high schools have a greater impact on graduates’ postsecondary outcomes than geographic differences. The report provides national college progression rates for high schools participating in the National Student Clearinghouse’s StudentTracker service.
Back to School, Forward with Data
The Clearinghouse’s suite of tools — including StudentTracker, the High School Benchmarks report, and DiplomaVerify — offers powerful, data-driven solutions that can help secondary school leaders support students in their transition to college and careers.
State Programs Empower More Students to Achieve Their Academic Pursuits
About 37.6 million working-age Americans have taken college courses but haven’t earned a credential, according to our Research Center’s latest Some College, No Credential report. Several states have created programs to help students with some college but no degrees. These programs award credentials for completed coursework. They also make it easier for adult learners to earn degrees.
Tapping Into the Campus Economy
More students are continuing their academic journeys beyond their freshman year, according to recent reports from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. This trend presents a valuable opportunity for businesses to expand their reach by offering exclusive student discounts, and makes verifying student data safely and reliably more important than ever.
Data Dive: Have Four-Year Universities Turned the Corner?
According to our latest Current Term Enrollment Estimates (CTEE) report, enrollment at four-year institutions has not only recovered from the pandemic-era declines but has now reached or even surpassed spring 2020 levels. This marks a significant milestone for colleges and universities following years of post-pandemic challenges.
New Report Gives Colleges First-Time Insights into Student Success After the First Semester
For the first time, this year’s Persistence and Retention report offers a detailed look at first spring persistence — the percentage of students who remain enrolled in college for the spring term immediately following their first fall. The report, which continues to track second fall persistence and retention, also revealed that more than 86% of first-time college students from the fall 2023 cohort returned for their second semester.
Record Number of Students Re-Enroll in College
According to our 6th annual Some College, No Credential (SCNC) report, over one million adults returned to higher education after previously stopping out. The report also found that college stopouts — students who leave without earning a credential — declined for the second consecutive year.
Data Dive: The Two-to-Four-Year College Pathway Makes a Comeback
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Transfer Enrollment and Pathways report, nearly 500,000 students who enrolled in a four-year institution in fall 2024 started their journey at a two-year college. That’s a 7.6% increase since 2022, reversing a two-year post-pandemic decline.
Vocational-Focused Public 2-Years Lead Spring Enrollment Rise
Community colleges, which were hit especially hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced a significant increase in spring enrollment as revealed in the Spring 2025 Current Term Enrollment Estimates report. The growth is being driven by community colleges that focus on vocational and trade programs.
DATA DIVE: Returning Learners Lead Transfer Population
The transfer student population is on the rise. And the most prevalent group of transfer students are those that previously stopped out, according to the Transfer Enrollment and Pathways report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Top Trends Uncovered by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
Matthew Holsapple, Senior Director of Research at the National Student Clearinghouse, discusses the key trends emerging from the Research Center’s latest reports.
15 Years of Insights from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
From tracking enrollment trends during critical periods, like the global pandemic, to illuminating the pathways of non-traditional students, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has consistently provided a clearer understanding of how students navigate their educational journeys and achieve success. To delve deeper into the impact and future of the Research Center, we spoke with its Executive Director, Doug Shapiro.
Certificate Earners Reach a 10-Year High, Driven by Younger Learners
The latest Undergraduate Degree Earners report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reveals significant shifts in the types of awards learners are achieving. Based on data from the 2023-24 academic year, the report shows the growing prominence of learners earning undergraduate certificates.
Celebrating Women in Higher Education: Data Reveals Remarkable Progress
This Women’s History Month, the National Student Clearinghouse is recognizing women’s progress in pursuing higher education.
College Transfer Enrollment Grew by 4.4% in the Fall of 2024
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s fall 2024 Transfer Enrollment and Pathways report reveals that transfer enrollment, which comprises 13% of non-freshmen undergraduates, grew for the third straight year.
Research Center: Fall Postsecondary Enrollment Rebounds Above Pre-Covid Levels
The latest Current Term Enrollment Estimates report reveals total postsecondary enrollment surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time.
College Completion Rates on the Rise: A Positive Trend
According to the Yearly Progress and Completion report, college completion rates are on the rise. The new annual report found that 61.1% of students who began college in the fall of 2018 earned a credential within six years.
4 Scary Good Stats in Higher Education
For Halloween, the Clearinghouse takes a frightfully fun dive into higher education data from some of our most recent Research Center reports.