The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s new Time to Degree report examines how students’ enrollment pathways influence completion timelines. While most first-time credential earners finish in under four years, stopouts, transfers, attending multiple institutions, and moving across states can substantially extend both active enrollment and elapsed time, with disparities emerging among students who stop out.
The 2026 High School Benchmarks report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows high school poverty level remains a key factor in postsecondary outcomes. Immediate college enrollment stayed largely steady, while persistence improved—especially among graduates from high-poverty high schools. However, significant gaps persist in enrollment, persistence, completion, and STEM degree attainment between high- and low-poverty schools.
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data shows part-time undergraduate enrollment reached 5.7 million students in Fall 2025, while students who start college part-time are seeing decade-long highs in persistence and retention. Although recent gains were seen across institution types, part-time students still complete credentials at much lower rates than full-time students, making future completion trends important to watch.
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Computer science enrollment is declining across major institutional sectors despite continued growth in overall undergraduate enrollment, according to National Student Clearinghouse data. The trend began in fall 2025 and continued into spring 2026, with nearly every major computer science specialization seeing decreases. Persistence rates also lag among top majors, suggesting shifting student demand and program choices.
Health Professions’ enrollment grew for the third consecutive year in spring 2026, topping two million undergraduate students nationwide, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Final Spring Enrollment Trends. Gains were seen across four-year, two-year, and PAB institutions, with nursing remaining the largest area of study.