When they first entered postsecondary education in 1995–96, the largest proportion of beginning students (46 percent) enrolled at public 2-year institutions (community colleges). About one-fourth (26 percent) started at public 4-year institutions, 15 percent at private not-for-profit 4-year institutions, 10 percent at private for-profit institutions offering vocational programs of less than 4 years, and 3 percent at all other types of institutions.

However, over the 6 years covered in this report, 40 percent of students who began in 1995–96 were also enrolled in at least one postsecondary institution other than the institution at which they started. About one-third (32 percent) of the beginners transferred from their first institution to a different one, and 11 percent were sometimes coenrolled, taking courses at more than one institution at the same time. About one-fourth of the students who began at 4-year institutions and 42 percent of those who began at public 2-year institutions transferred during the 6 years.