National Postsecondary Enrollment Trends: Before, During and After the Great Recession
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
By: Paula Newbaker

National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Signature Report Reveals Emerging Pattern

Contact: Paula Newbaker
media@studentclearinghouse.org
703- 742-3262

Herndon, Virginia, July, 2011 - The recent economic downturn did not affect college enrollment as much as had been feared, according to research by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. This report, the first in a series of Signature Reports, highlights emerging patterns among traditional-age, first-time students enrolling in colleges and universities before, during, and after the recession. The study followed fall enrollment each year from 2006 through 2010. Postsecondary institutions face challenging environments during recessions because they do not know how students and their families will respond when both opportunity costs and families' abilities to pay are declining. They are uncertain about how many students will enroll, if they are more likely to attend public or private institutions, if traditional-age students are more likely to enroll part time or full time, or if current enrollees are more likely to persist or drop out. This report helps both institutional and public policy makers craft more effective policy responses during uncertain times.

"The findings are somewhat surprising given the depth of this recession," said Dr. Don Hossler, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center and a published expert in student achievement and college choice and enrollment. "Through adapted enrollment management, recruitment, and financial aid strategies, institutions appear to have weathered these recent years better than many had anticipated."

Report findings:

• Community colleges experienced increases in enrollment.
• The four-year private sector maintained its market share more effectively than was predicted.
• The proportion of students enrolling full time in public two-year institutions increased slightly; four-year institutions saw virtually no change.
• Each region of the country experienced distinct enrollment patterns.
• Persistence rates (continued enrollment with any U.S. institution) were considerably higher than retention rates (continued enrollment within the same institution) in all institutional categories, with gaps between the two measures ranging from just under 10% to over 18%.

"National Postsecondary Enrollment Trends: Before, During, and After the Great Recession," and all subsequent Signature Reports, have immediate relevance for institutional and public policy makers during these uncertain times. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations. The reports use a unique data resource, the StudentTrackerSM database administered by the National Student Clearinghouse, to count individual student pathways across institutions. The database comprises more than 110 million student enrollment and degree records reported several times a term to the Clearinghouse by its more than 3,300 participating colleges and universities, enrolling 93% of all postsecondary students. StudentTracker provides a unique and invaluable research tool for studying enrollment and graduation patterns nationwide.

Signature Reports focus on important issues related to students' college access and progression nationwide. The Research Center hopes to expand the knowledge base on student enrollment and other important student outcomes by releasing reports in the future that will examine student transfer patterns, graduation, and more. To download the report, go to www.studentclearinghouse.org/signature.

"The use of Clearinghouse data for this type of report is groundbreaking because it represents the first-ever look at national trends and statistics using actual enrollment records reported by the institutions. Moving ahead, future Signature Reports will continue to leverage the unique ability of Clearinghouse data to examine national and regional access, persistence, transfer and completion rates, providing institutional researchers, education policy makers, and other decision makers the tools to take powerful and informed actions," said Rick Torres, President and CEO of the Clearinghouse.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL STUDENT CLEARINGHOUSE RESEARCH CENTER

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. To learn more, visit http://research.studentclearinghouse.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL STUDENT CLEARINGHOUSE

The National Student Clearinghouse (a non-profit formed in 1993) is the unique and trusted source for higher education enrollment and degree verifications. The Clearinghouse serves as a single point of contact for the collection and timely exchange of accurate and comprehensive enrollment, degree and certificate records on behalf of its more than 3,300 participating higher education institutions, which represent 93% of the national enrollment.

Through its verification and reporting services, the Clearinghouse saves higher education institutions cumulatively nearly four hundred million dollars annually. Most Clearinghouse services are provided to colleges and universities at little or no charge, including enhanced transcript and research services, enabling institutions to redistribute limited staff and budget resources to more important student service efforts. All Clearinghouse services are operated in full compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

In addition, the Clearinghouse provides accurate FERPA compliant verifications to student loan providers, employers, student credit issuers, the U.S. Department of Education, and others who access its registry more than half a billion times annually.

For more information, visit www.studentclearinghouse.org