About 37.6 million working-age Americans have taken college courses but haven’t earned a credential, according to our Research Center’s latest Some College, No Credential report. Several states have created programs to help students with some college but no degrees. These programs award credentials for completed coursework. They also make it easier for adult learners to earn degrees.
More students are continuing their academic journeys beyond their freshman year, according to recent reports from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. This trend presents a valuable opportunity for businesses to expand their reach by offering exclusive student discounts, and makes verifying student data safely and reliably more important than ever.
According to our latest Current Term Enrollment Estimates (CTEE) report, enrollment at four-year institutions has not only recovered from the pandemic-era declines but has now reached or even surpassed spring 2020 levels. This marks a significant milestone for colleges and universities following years of post-pandemic challenges.
For the first time, this year’s Persistence and Retention report offers 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, which continues to track second fall persistence and retention, also revealed that more than 86% of first-time college students from the fall 2023 cohort returned for their second semester.
According to our 6th annual Some College, No Credential (SCNC) report, over one million adults returned to higher education after previously stopping out. The report also found that college stopouts — students who leave without earning a credential — declined for the second consecutive year.
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Transfer Enrollment and Pathways report, nearly 500,000 students who enrolled in a four-year institution in fall 2024 started their journey at a two-year college. That’s a 7.6% increase since 2022, reversing a two-year post-pandemic decline.
Community colleges, which were hit especially hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced a significant increase in spring enrollment as revealed in the Spring 2025 Current Term Enrollment Estimates report. The growth is being driven by community colleges that focus on vocational and trade programs.
The transfer student population is on the rise. And the most prevalent group of transfer students are those that previously stopped out, according to the Transfer Enrollment and Pathways report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Matthew Holsapple, Senior Director of Research at the National Student Clearinghouse, discusses the key trends emerging from the Research Center’s latest reports.
From tracking enrollment trends during critical periods, like the global pandemic, to illuminating the pathways of non-traditional students, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has consistently provided a clearer understanding of how students navigate their educational journeys and achieve success. To delve deeper into the impact and future of the Research Center, we spoke with its Executive Director, Doug Shapiro.