In the only national-level study of its kind, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center examined whether undergraduate certificates and associate degrees lead to higher-level credentials.
The percentage of first‐time students who were still enrolled at any college in their second fall term increased one percentage point over the prior year, bringing the persistence rate to its highest level since 2010, when it began a four-year decline.
Student mobility continues to play an important part in determining the paths students take to college completion, both in relation to students who enroll at community colleges en route to four-year degrees and those who move between states.
