Latest COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress Report Coming Soon!

Research Helps Institutions Understand How COVID Impacted Transfers

Higher education experienced a two-year loss of 296,200 transfer students, or 13.5% during the pandemic, according to the fall 2022 COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress Report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. From 2020 to 2022, all transfer pathways were impacted.

Prior to the pandemic in academic year 2019-20, nearly 2.2 million students transferred to another institution to continue their college careers. During the pandemic’s first year, academic year 2020-21, transfer losses equated to nearly 200,000 fewer students or a 9.1% decline. In the pandemic’s second year, academic year 2021-22, an additional 97,200 transfer students, or 4.9% were lost.

In the fall, Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the Research Center, said, “Today’s missing transfer students will too often become tomorrow’s missing graduates unless educators and policymakers respond quickly with interventions tailored to the needs of affected learners.”

Background on COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress Report Series

Alignment of transfer policy and practice with student needs is difficult, even in times of relative stability. When the COVID-19 health crisis emerged, the Research Center embarked on a two-year project to better understand how this disruption has impacted transfer. With funding from Ascendium and ECMC Foundation, the Research Center’s data intends to help colleges and universities develop policies and system-level initiatives that address student transfer and pipeline needs to support student success in the post-COVID environment.

The latest COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress Report will be published in early March. 

“Today’s missing transfer students will too often become tomorrow’s missing graduates unless educators and policymakers respond quickly with interventions tailored to the needs of affected learners.”

Doug Shapiro
Executive Director, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

Additional Resources:

• Review the fall Transfer Report post

• Watch the fall on-demand webinar