Undergraduate Degree Attainment Grows as More Students Accelerate Their Path to a Bachelor’s

New Report Finds That, for the First Time, Students Aged 18 to 20 Surpassed Those Aged 21 to 24 as the Largest Share of First-Time Associate Degree Earners

A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reveals that more than 3.4 million learners earned undergraduate credentials during the 2024–25 academic year, a 3.2% increase from the previous year. But beyond the headline growth, a deeper shift is underway: students are accelerating their paths to completion and rethinking traditional timelines.

The Undergraduate Degree Earners Report provides a demographic and education credential profile for all students who graduate with an undergraduate-level credential, encompassing undergraduate certificates and associate and bachelor’s degrees.

“This year’s increase in undergraduate credential attainment isn’t just about more completions — it’s also about timing,” said Matthew Holsapple, Senior Director of Research at the National Student Clearinghouse, about this year’s report. “More students are earning certificates and degrees earlier and that shift reflects how postsecondary pathways are changing and starting sooner than they once did.”

Accelerated Paths, Earlier Starts

Today’s students aren’t waiting as long to earn credentials. Increasingly, they are beginning their pathway to earning certificates and degrees earlier in life — sometimes even before finishing high school through dual enrollment programs. Holsapple shared, “This reflects a broader transformation in postsecondary education, where pathways are becoming more flexible, accessible, and efficient. Whether through dual enrollment or stacked credentials, learners are finding new ways to move forward faster.”

The Rise of “Stacking” Credentials

One of the clearest trends is the growing number of students building toward a bachelor’s degree step by step. Nearly 892,300 students who earned an undergraduate credential this year had already completed a prior postsecondary award. The most common route found students starting with an associate degree, then continuing to a bachelors. In 2024–25 alone, nearly 420,000 students followed this pathway, marking its first significant growth in four years.  “This ‘stacking’ approach gives students flexibility and allows them to gain skills, enter the workforce, and return to school without losing momentum,” Holsapple added.

A Younger Generation of Graduates

The age profile of degree earners is shifting in a big way. For the first time, 18- to 20-year-olds make up the largest share of first-time associate degree earners (32.6%), surpassing the traditional 21–24 age group. Even more striking: 52,500 students under age 18 earned certificates or associate degrees this year — nearly four times as many as a decade ago. This surge highlights the rapid expansion of early college opportunities, where students can earn higher education credentials before graduating high school.

Dual Enrollment Is a Key Driver

Much of this growth is fueled by the popularity of dual enrollment programs, which enable high school students to earn college credit. This trend likely contributes to the rising share of associate and bachelor’s degree earners aged 18 to 20. Over the last decade, the number of associate degree graduates in this age bracket grew by 77,100 (a 47.7% increase), now accounting for more than a quarter of all earners. Growth at the bachelor’s level is smaller but still significant: the number of graduates aged 18–20 has increased by 27,400 since 2015–16, effectively doubling their share of the total.

What This Means for the Future

Higher education is not a one-size-fits-all journey, and the results of the Undergraduate Degree Earners report only emphasizes that fact. Students are starting earlier, moving faster, and building credentials along the way. These shifts point to a system that’s becoming more adaptable to student needs and more aligned with workforce demands. Holsapple concluded, “As pathways continue to shift, it’s clear that the traditional college timeline is constantly evolving to adapt to modern needs.”