Home: Success

One-third of all first-year students who enroll at America’s postsecondary schools this year will not return to the same institutions next fall. Attrition rates range from a low of 5 percent at very selective schools to 50 percent or higher at some open-admission colleges. Community colleges enroll almost half of all U.S. undergraduate students. But access alone isn’t enough. Currently fewer than half of community college students meet their educational goals.

By supporting programs and research aimed at boosting persistence, Lumina Foundation for Education is committed to reducing barriers to success and helping students achieve their long-term educational goals. Learn more about factors that affect student success in Refuse to Lose and find out about Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, a multiyear national initiative to help more community college students succeed. The initiative is particularly concerned about student groups that traditionally have faced significant barriers to success, including students of color and low-income students. The goal is to help more students earn certificates or degrees that open the door to better jobs, further education, and greater opportunity.

Academic success

Many students who begin postsecondary education drop out before completing a degree. Barely six out of 10 first-time, full-time degree-seeking college freshmen graduate within six years. Graduation rates are particularly low for minority, low-income and first-generation students
 
The first year of college is the most critical to degree completion. Many institutions lose one out of every four students they enroll in the freshman year alone.  

Remedial courses help students succeed. Students who successfully complete remedial courses at both two- and four-year colleges are likely to complete associate's or bachelor's degree programs or to be employed in a non-minimum-wage job.  

Student support

Income and race matter. Low-income students are far less likely to earn a baccalaureate degree than are students from the highest socioeconomic level. Educational attainment gaps between whites and racial and ethnic minorities persist, which threatens this country's social and economic progress.  

Institutional factors

Institutional factors influence student success. Issues ranging from class schedules to child care can make or break a student's college career.