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Postsecondary Transfer Enrollment Stabilized In Fall 2021
Postsecondary transfer enrollment appears to have stabilized in fall 2021 following a precipitous decline a year earlier, with a drop of less than 1% (-11,300 students) compared to a 9.2% decline (-137,000 students) in fall 2020, according to research released today by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
In contrast, non-transfer enrollment fell a further 4.1%, an acceleration of the previous year’s 2.3% drop. The latest COVID-19: Transfer, Mobility, and Progress report, the sixth in the series, reflects the pandemic’s impact on postsecondary transfer students.
“Transfer pathways in fall 2021 show signs of students and campuses working hard to find greater latitude for navigating the pandemic,” said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “Even as total undergraduate enrollment slid further, students who have stayed enrolled are finding ways to adapt to their specific challenges through transfer and mobility.”
The research presents the undergraduate transfer enrollment and pathways in the fall of 2021. It analyzes 12 million undergraduate students, including 1.3 million transfer students, as reported by 92.6% of colleges as of Nov 18, 2021. Because of the high data coverage rate, this report offers the enrollment numbers along with the year-over-year percentage changes, both of which are available for download.
The COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress Report series, with support from Ascendium Education Group and ECMC Foundation, identifies changes in student transfer pathways that are attributable to the pandemic by using historical data as the pre-pandemic baseline and the Clearinghouse’s current enrollment data.
By providing the most up-to-date information about student transfer available online for free, the Research Center enables schools, institutions, organizations, and policymakers to better adapt and serve students, particularly those from the most vulnerable populations, during the pandemic and beyond.
Total Change in Transfer and Non-Transfer Enrollments
“Even as total undergraduate enrollment slid further, students who have stayed enrolled are finding ways to adapt to their specific challenges through transfer and mobility.”
Doug Shapiro
Executive director, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
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