2024 High School Benchmarks Report: After Gap Year, More Students Enroll in College

The percentage of students from the 2022 graduating class who enrolled in college within a year of graduation increased significantly compared to the previous year, as reported in the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s 2024 High School Benchmarks Report. Enrollment within a year increased as much as 3.2 percentage points (pp) across nearly all high school characteristics—those defined by incomes, race/ethnicity, or locale.

The report also found that the percentage of 2023 high school graduates enrolling immediately for college remained stable compared to the previous year.

The 2024 High School Benchmarks Report offers the latest data on graduates’ postsecondary outcomes, including enrollment, persistence, and completion. This data helps schools track progress in supporting students’ transition to college and credential attainment.

The report found that more students are persisting into their second year. The persistence rates of students increased across all high school characteristics by at least a percentage point between the 2020 and 2021 high school graduating classes. Conversely, the postsecondary completion rates for the 2017 high school graduating class remained stagnant or fell across nearly all high school characteristics.

“The improving persistence rate is an optimistic sign for high school graduates who are choosing to enroll in college,” said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “Large and widening gaps for low-income students continue to be a cause for concern, however, throughout the postsecondary journey.”

View the complete High School Benchmarks Report with an interactive dashboard that compares postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion rates by high school characteristics.

“The improving persistence rate is an optimistic sign for high school graduates who are choosing to enroll in college. Large and widening gaps for low-income students continue to be a cause for concern, however, throughout the postsecondary journey.”

Doug Shapiro
Executive Director, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

Additional Resources:

• Read the High School Benchmarks Report

• Visit our Research Center