Leveraging the High School Benchmarks Report: A Guide for High School Administrators & Counselors
Transfer enrollment is making a comeback, surpassing 2020 figures. 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.
The ability to transfer between institutions provides students with greater flexibility in their postsecondary educational pathways. The Transfer Enrollment and Pathways report, which replaces the previous Transfer and Progress report series, finds that college transfer enrollment is now 7.9% greater than in the fall of 2020.
"The growth in transfers this fall is a further indication that students are adjusting postsecondary goals in response to changing education and labor market conditions," said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “That’s good news, especially for those who are able to return from stopouts by finding colleges that better meet their needs.”
Nearly 500,000 students transferred from a two-year to a four-year institution this past fall, a number that is now comparable to fall 2020 (-2,300, -0.5%). Although this remains the most common pathway for transfer students, the share of all transfer students that move from a two-year to a four-year institution declined 3.5 percentage points from fall 2020 to fall 2024.
Additional report highlights include:
Community College Transfer Enrollment: This past fall, 390,000 students transferred into a community college, an increase of 13.5% from the fall of 2020. However, total community college enrollment still has not recovered from pandemic declines (-52,300, -1.5% from fall 2020).
Continuing Transfer Students: The fall of 2024 saw the second straight year of enrollment growth for continuing transfer students — those who were enrolled at a different institution in the spring or summer term immediately prior.
View the complete Transfer Enrollment and Pathways report.
"The growth in transfers this fall is a further indication that students are adjusting postsecondary goals in response to changing education and labor market conditions. That’s good news, especially for those who are able to return from stopouts by finding colleges that better meet their needs."
Doug Shapiro
Executive Director, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
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Leveraging the High School Benchmarks Report: A Guide for High School Administrators & Counselors
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s annual High School Benchmarks report provides the most current data on high school graduates’ postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion outcomes. Here are four ways high school administrators can leverage the report to make data-driven decisions, improve outcomes, and support their students’ educational journeys.
1. Tracking College Enrollment Rates
One of the primary uses of the High School Benchmarks report is to track college enrollment rates among high school graduates. Administrators can analyze this data to understand how their high schools’ graduates compare to averages for college enrollment. This information can help schools benchmark their performance, enabling them to tailor their curriculum and support services.
2. Identifying Enrollment Patterns
Through an interactive dashboard, the report breaks down college enrollment data by various factors, such as the type of institution (2-year vs. 4-year, public vs. private), the location of the college (in-state vs. out-of-state), and enrollment timing (immediate or delayed entry), and high school characteristics (including poverty levels, income levels, minority levels, and urbanicity). High school administrators can use these insights to help them develop and provide targeted guidance.
3. Evaluating Persistence and Completion Rates
Beyond initial enrollment, the report provides college persistence and completion rates data. This information allows administrators to gauge how well their students are faring in higher education compared to trends and whether there are specific areas where additional support or interventions may be needed. Understanding which students are more likely to persist and graduate can inform counseling and academic advising efforts.
4. Tailoring Support Services
High schools can use the report to fine-tune their support services. By identifying trends related to college readiness, academic preparedness, and enrollment barriers, administrators can develop targeted interventions and support systems to address these issues proactively. This can include providing additional college readiness courses, financial aid workshops, or mentorship programs.
By leveraging this report’s data and insights, coupled with the reporting capabilities of StudentTracker for High Schools, administrators can make informed choices that lead to better opportunities and brighter futures for their students. Embracing data-driven decision-making is crucial in ensuring that high schools continue to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of education.
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