Recognizing the Tremendous Strides Women Have Made in Higher Education
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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Recognizing the Tremendous Strides Women Have Made in Higher Education
During Women’s History Month, the National Student Clearinghouse is reflecting on and celebrating women’s accomplishments and advancements in higher education.
Women’s pursuit of higher education in the United States started with Catherine Brewer Benson, who in 1840 became the first woman to be awarded a degree from an American college, Georgia Female College (now Wesleyan). Elizabeth Blackwell became the first American woman to receive a medical degree in 1849, paving the way for future generations of women in the field of medicine. Similarly, in 1869, Arabella Mansfield became the first woman in the United States to be admitted to the bar and practice law.
The 20th century brought significant advancements for women in higher education. The passage of Title IX in 1972 prohibited gender discrimination in educational programs and opened doors for women in sports and academia. This landmark legislation led to a dramatic increase in female enrollment in colleges and universities nationwide.
Today, women comprise the majority of students in higher education. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s latest research shows that in the fall of 2023, there were over 8.3 million women in undergraduate programs and 1.8 million women in graduate programs.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we honor the trailblazing women who paved the way for future generations. Their courage, resilience, and determination serve as a testament to the power of education to transform lives and shape the future. Together, we can continue to advance gender equality in higher education and beyond.