Income Makeup of High Schools Is the Greatest Difference in College Outcomes

HERNDON, VA – (SEPTEMBER 17, 2025) – Differences in the income makeup between high schools make the largest contrast in postsecondary outcomes of graduates — much greater than differences in geography — according to new research from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

The 2025 High School Benchmarks report finds, for example, that low-poverty high schools were the only high schools where more than half of the 2018 high school graduates completed an associate degree or higher within six years. Only one-quarter of 2018 graduates of high-poverty high schools accomplished the same.

“Large differences in college access and degree attainment mean many students don’t see the benefits of higher education opportunities, particularly those from low-income backgrounds,” said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “Even with stable enrollment outcomes, the socioeconomic gaps continue to persist.”

Lower persistence: Another area where income differences stand out is in persistence rates from the first to second year of college, which held largely steady except for high-poverty high schools. These schools — which already have the lowest persistence rates — saw a decline of 1.1 percentage points for the class of 2022 to 74.4 percent.

Lower STEM completion: Graduates of low-poverty and higher-income high schools were also more likely to complete STEM degrees within six years (22.4% and 17.5%, respectively) than their counterparts at high-poverty (8.1%) and low-income (9.1%) high schools.

The High School Benchmarks report uses the percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch, as reported to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), to determine high school income and poverty characteristics.

Stable enrollment: More broadly, the report found that differences in immediate fall enrollment — that is, enrollment in college in the fall after high school graduation — remained stable across nearly all high school characteristic groups for the high school graduating classes of 2023 and 2024.

Enrollment within one year of high school graduation increased by more than 1 percentage point for low-income, high-poverty, and high-minority high schools between the high school graduating classes of 2022 and 2023.

The 13th annual High School Benchmarks report provides the most current data on high school graduates’ postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion outcomes. These data serve as the most relevant benchmarks for monitoring and evaluating progress in assisting students in making the transition from high school to college and earning a credential in a timely manner.

About the National Student Clearinghouse^® Research Center™

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed in 1993. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. To learn more, visit nscresearchcenter.org.

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