Table 326.30.

Retention of first-time degree-seeking undergraduates at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, level and control of institution, and percentage of applications accepted: Selected years, 2006 to 2018

Attendance status, level, control, and percent of applications accepted	First-time degree-seekers (adjusted entry cohort),1 by entry year							Students from adjusted cohort returning in the following year							Percent of first-time undergraduates retained
	2006	2009	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2007	2010	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2006 to 2007	2009 to 2010	2013 to 2014	2014 to 2015	2015 to 2016	2016 to 2017	2017 to 2018
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22
Full-time students
All institutions	2,170,504	2,371,220	2,222,085	2,211,406	2,180,675	2,177,194	2,180,170	1,541,201	1,705,242	1,642,567	1,647,295	1,640,963	1,643,904	1,648,776	71.0	71.9	73.9	74.5	75.3	75.5	75.6
Public institutions	1,522,928	1,732,822	1,646,902	1,639,875	1,619,768	1,620,387	1,624,433	1,071,986	1,222,688	1,193,200	1,200,374	1,198,609	1,203,750	1,206,993	70.4	70.6	72.5	73.2	74.0	74.3	74.3
Nonprofit institutions	466,078	478,755	483,617	489,834	491,898	491,742	505,768	368,783	381,364	392,080	396,659	399,434	399,354	409,821	79.1	79.7	81.1	81.0	81.2	81.2	81.0
For-profit institutions	181,498	159,643	91,566	81,697	69,009	65,065	49,969	100,432	101,190	57,287	50,262	42,920	40,800	31,962	55.3	63.4	62.6	61.5	62.2	62.7	64.0
4-year institutions	1,457,745	1,452,575	1,483,526	1,501,582	1,524,088	1,534,945	1,553,162	1,114,923	1,146,534	1,194,097	1,212,464	1,231,920	1,242,850	1,257,978	76.5	78.9	80.5	80.7	80.8	81.0	81.0
Public institutions	911,509	936,840	978,041	995,110	1,018,253	1,028,968	1,041,749	711,200	745,703	790,227	807,687	825,885	836,675	846,079	78.0	79.6	80.8	81.2	81.1	81.3	81.2
Open admissions	61,832	45,458	34,706	31,477	26,888	26,839	27,498	38,383	28,675	21,547	19,618	16,689	16,671	17,278	62.1	63.1	62.1	62.3	62.1	62.1	62.8
90 percent or more accepted	68,835	63,453	55,188	60,160	71,117	69,603	82,664	49,274	46,280	40,116	43,559	51,533	50,537	60,453	71.6	72.9	72.7	72.4	72.5	72.6	73.1
75.0 to 89.9 percent accepted	244,177	212,573	261,763	281,422	317,658	288,854	306,567	185,457	163,639	203,517	221,245	251,113	228,127	241,826	76.0	77.0	77.7	78.6	79.1	79.0	78.9
50.0 to 74.9 percent accepted	417,093	462,554	461,551	456,622	435,275	468,321	433,808	336,365	376,021	381,607	376,587	357,438	383,791	354,792	80.6	81.3	82.7	82.5	82.1	82.0	81.8
25.0 to 49.9 percent accepted	103,118	131,241	147,849	145,622	150,981	156,438	167,075	88,908	112,209	127,595	128,568	133,668	139,838	148,465	86.2	85.5	86.3	88.3	88.5	89.4	88.9
Less than 25.0 percent accepted	7,716	14,326	15,315	14,947	15,563	15,951	22,740	7,048	13,649	14,651	14,336	14,959	15,330	21,999	91.3	95.3	95.7	95.9	96.1	96.1	96.7
Information not available	8,738	7,235	1,669	4,860	771	2,962	1,397	5,765	5,230	1,194	3,774	485	2,381	1,266	66.0	72.3	71.5	77.7	62.9	80.4	90.6
Nonprofit institutions	457,505	470,795	476,437	476,823	481,241	484,334	495,026	363,459	376,668	387,685	388,745	392,330	394,415	402,106	79.4	80.0	81.4	81.5	81.5	81.4	81.2
Open admissions	26,565	22,613	12,549	11,792	13,289	13,378	12,117	16,019	14,349	7,653	7,414	8,499	8,795	7,873	60.3	63.5	61.0	62.9	64.0	65.7	65.0
90 percent or more accepted	13,632	15,135	22,841	22,225	28,503	23,596	33,038	9,543	10,953	16,881	16,188	20,247	16,897	23,971	70.0	72.4	73.9	72.8	71.0	71.6	72.6
75.0 to 89.9 percent accepted	102,358	80,301	86,040	94,830	80,940	91,372	92,986	78,424	62,196	68,481	74,984	63,872	71,328	72,983	76.6	77.5	79.6	79.1	78.9	78.1	78.5
50.0 to 74.9 percent accepted	190,079	218,072	207,431	199,677	199,442	203,979	201,207	148,681	170,232	162,937	157,866	157,181	162,016	158,256	78.2	78.1	78.5	79.1	78.8	79.4	78.7
25.0 to 49.9 percent accepted	93,560	98,312	98,202	95,164	102,823	98,053	95,878	81,880	84,941	85,484	82,511	89,426	84,421	82,935	87.5	86.4	87.0	86.7	87.0	86.1	86.5
Less than 25.0 percent accepted	26,696	32,980	45,222	48,076	54,573	51,642	55,035	25,639	31,790	43,522	46,054	51,699	49,508	53,162	96.0	96.4	96.2	95.8	94.7	95.9	96.6
Information not available	4,615	3,382	4,152	5,059	1,671	2,314	4,765	3,273	2,207	2,727	3,728	1,406	1,450	2,926	70.9	65.3	65.7	73.7	84.1	62.7	61.4
For-profit institutions	88,731	44,940	29,048	29,649	24,594	21,643	16,387	40,264	24,163	16,185	16,032	13,705	11,760	9,793	45.4	53.8	55.7	54.1	55.7	54.3	59.8
Open admissions	45,240	16,826	19,206	21,732	16,511	13,943	10,036	18,720	9,260	10,053	10,827	8,270	6,706	5,490	41.4	55.0	52.3	49.8	50.1	48.1	54.7
90 percent or more accepted	6,285	3,722	717	591	770	1,108	803	3,454	1,311	509	308	472	559	560	55.0	35.2	71.0	52.1	61.3	50.5	69.7
75.0 to 89.9 percent accepted	3,703	3,224	2,920	5,265	3,253	1,174	2,874	2,081	1,549	1,865	3,459	2,159	885	1,839	56.2	48.0	63.9	65.7	66.4	75.4	64.0
50.0 to 74.9 percent accepted	12,845	12,061	3,690	1,489	3,000	4,577	2,344	6,536	6,839	2,472	994	1,973	3,108	1,642	50.9	56.7	67.0	66.8	65.8	67.9	70.1
25.0 to 49.9 percent accepted	18,142	6,098	419	463	1,020	672	300	8,036	3,423	293	353	802	363	240	44.3	56.1	69.9	76.2	78.6	54.0	80.0
Less than 25.0 percent accepted	0	3	0	0	8	1	0	0	2	0	0	8	1	0	†	66.7	†	†	100.0	100.0	†
Information not available	2,516	3,006	2,096	109	32	168	30	1,437	1,779	993	91	21	138	22	57.1	59.2	47.4	83.5	65.6	82.1	73.3
2-year institutions	712,759	918,645	738,559	709,824	656,587	642,249	627,008	426,278	558,708	448,470	434,831	409,043	401,054	390,798	59.8	60.8	60.7	61.3	62.3	62.4	62.3
Public institutions	611,419	795,982	668,861	644,765	601,515	591,419	582,684	360,786	476,985	402,973	392,687	372,724	367,075	360,914	59.0	59.9	60.2	60.9	62.0	62.1	61.9
Nonprofit institutions	8,573	7,960	7,180	13,011	10,657	7,408	10,742	5,324	4,696	4,395	7,914	7,104	4,939	7,715	62.1	59.0	61.2	60.8	66.7	66.7	71.8
For-profit institutions	92,767	114,703	62,518	52,048	44,415	43,422	33,582	60,168	77,027	41,102	34,230	29,215	29,040	22,169	64.9	67.2	65.7	65.8	65.8	66.9	66.0
Part-time students
All institutions	461,574	545,635	490,124	470,772	429,109	411,269	404,081	190,547	229,566	213,235	205,366	192,527	186,683	182,838	41.3	42.1	43.5	43.6	44.9	45.4	45.2
Public institutions	417,314	497,453	461,943	445,495	404,279	390,075	380,256	170,682	209,164	202,243	195,147	181,993	177,878	172,830	40.9	42.0	43.8	43.8	45.0	45.6	45.5
Nonprofit institutions	14,618	10,359	9,340	8,885	10,446	8,825	13,902	7,027	4,892	3,883	3,681	4,951	3,893	5,968	48.1	47.2	41.6	41.4	47.4	44.1	42.9
For-profit institutions	29,642	37,823	18,841	16,392	14,384	12,369	9,923	12,838	15,510	7,109	6,538	5,583	4,912	4,040	43.3	41.0	37.7	39.9	38.8	39.7	40.7
4-year institutions	81,423	72,046	49,304	46,606	48,716	46,515	50,441	37,988	32,344	22,269	21,818	23,845	22,669	24,771	46.7	44.9	45.2	46.8	48.9	48.7	49.1
Public institutions	47,377	33,327	26,473	25,833	28,096	29,746	29,470	23,337	16,944	13,862	13,917	15,374	16,029	16,158	49.3	50.8	52.4	53.9	54.7	53.9	54.8
Open admissions	19,247	8,356	5,250	4,605	4,412	5,403	4,176	8,004	3,586	2,098	1,791	1,873	2,136	1,654	41.6	42.9	40.0	38.9	42.5	39.5	39.6
90 percent or more accepted	3,745	4,004	2,098	1,951	2,931	2,326	2,509	1,909	1,959	1,063	880	1,382	1,013	1,089	51.0	48.9	50.7	45.1	47.2	43.6	43.4
75.0 to 89.9 percent accepted	8,969	6,493	7,424	6,663	8,722	9,007	9,649	4,196	3,268	3,964	3,591	4,972	4,925	5,324	46.8	50.3	53.4	53.9	57.0	54.7	55.2
50.0 to 74.9 percent accepted	11,599	11,254	9,042	10,343	9,815	10,729	10,891	6,766	6,053	5,065	6,107	5,654	6,458	6,630	58.3	53.8	56.0	59.0	57.6	60.2	60.9
25.0 to 49.9 percent accepted	3,373	3,046	2,553	2,040	2,112	2,103	2,177	2,223	1,982	1,617	1,395	1,433	1,392	1,413	65.9	65.1	63.3	68.4	67.9	66.2	64.9
Less than 25.0 percent accepted	65	44	51	58	48	65	58	50	35	33	49	38	57	44	76.9	79.5	64.7	84.5	79.2	87.7	75.9
Information not available	379	130	55	173	56	113	10	189	61	22	104	22	48	4	49.9	46.9	40.0	60.1	39.3	42.5	40.0
Nonprofit institutions	12,861	9,599	8,501	8,093	9,686	7,962	13,356	6,054	4,491	3,448	3,322	4,612	3,553	5,758	47.1	46.8	40.6	41.0	47.6	44.6	43.1
Open admissions	5,419	3,821	2,434	1,450	1,540	1,583	1,757	2,558	1,693	848	486	673	660	758	47.2	44.3	34.8	33.5	43.7	41.7	43.1
90 percent or more accepted	523	393	1,159	494	3,769	1,990	911	237	199	468	204	1,882	887	566	45.3	50.6	40.4	41.3	49.9	44.6	62.1
75.0 to 89.9 percent accepted	2,459	1,164	1,332	1,903	874	938	4,522	1,047	550	622	811	422	465	1,967	42.6	47.3	46.7	42.6	48.3	49.6	43.5
50.0 to 74.9 percent accepted	3,131	3,256	1,515	2,231	1,812	2,358	1,985	1,406	1,531	701	928	839	1,018	871	44.9	47.0	46.3	41.6	46.3	43.2	43.9
25.0 to 49.9 percent accepted	853	715	606	815	866	587	1,030	452	366	305	394	381	263	430	53.0	51.2	50.3	48.3	44.0	44.8	41.7
Less than 25.0 percent accepted	112	93	115	136	640	458	99	86	78	101	123	302	238	84	76.8	83.9	87.8	90.4	47.2	52.0	84.8
Information not available	364	157	1,340	1,064	185	48	3,052	268	74	403	376	113	22	1,082	73.6	47.1	30.1	35.3	61.1	45.8	35.5
For-profit institutions	21,185	29,120	14,330	12,680	10,934	8,807	7,615	8,597	10,909	4,959	4,579	3,859	3,087	2,855	40.6	37.5	34.6	36.1	35.3	35.1	37.5
Open admissions	10,514	10,926	10,395	10,089	8,822	6,384	5,667	4,121	4,299	3,751	3,863	3,183	2,388	2,227	39.2	39.3	36.1	38.3	36.1	37.4	39.3
90 percent or more accepted	2,212	1,372	126	123	246	453	204	639	375	59	30	85	115	47	28.9	27.3	46.8	24.4	34.6	25.4	23.0
75.0 to 89.9 percent accepted	2,838	3,151	1,232	1,794	1,027	109	1,065	1,342	1,093	353	492	259	29	382	47.3	34.7	28.7	27.4	25.2	26.6	35.9
50.0 to 74.9 percent accepted	2,774	4,591	2,471	586	753	812	668	1,134	2,249	756	158	282	328	196	40.9	49.0	30.6	27.0	37.5	40.4	29.3
25.0 to 49.9 percent accepted	2,033	1,099	73	9	81	1,043	6	627	342	25	2	45	227	3	30.8	31.1	34.2	22.2	55.6	21.8	50.0
Less than 25.0 percent accepted	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	†	†	†	†	†	†	†
Information not available	814	7,981	33	79	5	6	5	734	2,551	15	34	5	0	0	90.2	32.0	45.5	43.0	100.0	0.0	0.0
2-year institutions	380,151	473,589	440,820	424,166	380,393	364,754	353,640	152,559	197,222	190,966	183,548	168,682	164,014	158,067	40.1	41.6	43.3	43.3	44.3	45.0	44.7
Public institutions	369,937	464,126	435,470	419,662	376,183	360,329	350,786	147,345	192,220	188,381	181,230	166,619	161,849	156,672	39.8	41.4	43.3	43.2	44.3	44.9	44.7
Nonprofit institutions	1,757	760	839	792	760	863	546	973	401	435	359	339	340	210	55.4	52.8	51.8	45.3	44.6	39.4	38.5
For-profit institutions	8,457	8,703	4,511	3,712	3,450	3,562	2,308	4,241	4,601	2,150	1,959	1,724	1,825	1,185	50.1	52.9	47.7	52.8	50.0	51.2	51.3

†Not applicable.

1 Adjusted entry cohort counts exclude students who died or were totally and permanently disabled, served in the armed forces (including those called to active duty), served with a foreign aid service of the federal government (e.g., Peace Corps), or served on official church missions. For 4-year institutions, the adjusted entry cohort is based on first-time bachelor’s degree-seeking students.

NOTE: Returning students data for 2-year institutions include returning students, plus students who completed their program. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Spring 2008 through Spring 2018, Fall Enrollment component; and IPEDS Fall 2006 through Fall 2017, Institutional Characteristics component. (This table was prepared October 2019.)