New Report Gives Colleges First-Time Insights into Student Success After the First Semester

2025 Persistence and Retention Report Offers First-Ever Look at Spring Persistence and Retention Trends

More than 86% of first-time college students from the fall 2023 cohort returned for their second semester, according to the latest National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Persistence and Retention Report, an annual report that measures first-year persistence and retention rates for freshman college students.

• Persistence refers to continued enrollment at any institution.
• Retention refers to continued enrollment at the starting institution.

This year’s Persistence and Retention Report breaks new ground by offering, for the first time, 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 also continues to track second fall persistence and retention, key indicators of long-term student success.

Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the Clearinghouse Research Center, emphasized that this new data offers a valuable opportunity for higher education institutions to intervene earlier. “We’ve been focused on second fall persistence for years, but that’s too long to wait for many institutions,” Shapiro explained. “This new data enables schools to identify and support at-risk students sooner, particularly part-time, older, and community college students, who tend to have lower spring persistence rates.”

Part-Time Students Face the Greatest Risk of Not Continuing

Part-time students faced great risk of not continuing their studies. Nearly one-third (32.6%) did not return for the spring semester, and almost half (46.8%) failed to persist into their second fall term. In contrast, 92.1% of full-time students returned for the spring semester, and 84.4% continued into their second year of study.

“These findings highlight a critical challenge in higher education: part-time students are significantly less likely to persist beyond their first semester and first year,” said Matthew Holsapple, Senior Director of Research, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “Understanding and addressing the unique barriers they face is essential to improving overall student success and equity in postsecondary outcomes.”

Age Matters: Younger Students Persist at Higher Rates

First-time students aged 25 and older were also less likely to continue their studies. More than one in four full-time students in this age group did not return for either the spring semester or their second fall semester. In contrast, over 90% of first-time full-time students aged 20 and under returned for both the spring semester and their second fall semester.

Other Interesting Report Takeaways

• Computer Science: A Surprising Outlier: While most top 10 majors saw gains in persistence and retention, Computer Science was the exception:
  • Second Fall Persistence: 86.1% (↓ 0.8 percentage points)
  • Second Fall Retention: 78.1% (↓ 0.8 percentage points)
• Minority Students are More Likely to Change Institutions: Retention rates for Hispanic, Black, and Native American students remain below the national average. By the second fall, their retention rates were 65.4%, 58.5%, and 56.0%, respectively, compared to the national average of 69.5%. However, on the positive side, second fall persistence rates for minority students have returned to or surpassed pre-2020 levels.
• Top Performing Trade Fields: Four of the five certificate programs with the highest second fall persistence rates are trade-related: Mechanic and Repair Technologies (60.5%), Precision Production (59.7%), Construction Trades (66.2%), and Personal and Culinary Services (59.9%).

A Clearer Picture of Student Success

The 2025 Persistence and Retention Report offers a more timely and nuanced understanding of student progress in higher education. With the addition of first spring data, institutions now have earlier indicators to identify and support students who may be at risk of stopping out.

As colleges and universities strive to enhance student outcomes, this report offers critical insights to inform policy, programming, and resource allocation. By understanding who is staying enrolled — and who isn’t — institutions can take meaningful steps to ensure that more students not only start college but finish it.

“We’ve been focused on second fall persistence for years, but that’s too long to wait for many institutions. This new data enables schools to identify and support at-risk students sooner, particularly part-time, older, and community college students, who tend to have lower spring persistence rates.”

Doug Shapiro
Executive Director, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center