1 in 3 California community college students don’t return the following term

This story was originally published by EdSource.

1 in 3 California community college students who take courses in the fall don’t return the following spring. Fewer than half persist in their studies for three consecutive semesters.

Over the last decade, community colleges’ retention rates have not significantly improved. Meanwhile, as California has pushed to enroll more students in higher education, the number of Californians with some college experience but no degree has continued to grow.

Community college officials say the low retention rate — the share of students who continue their education from one term to the next — reflects the makeup of their student population: Most students attend part time, making them less likely to persist, while others enroll to gain new skills rather than to earn an associate’s degree. 

California has cast a wide net to enroll students, said John Hetts, executive vice chancellor of the analytics team in the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. 

“The barrier to entry is very low, which is exceptional, but it also means the commitment that you have to have to enter is also lower,” he said. “They don’t have as much skin in the game.”

Younger community college students are more likely to continue their education, according to data from the chancellor’s office. Black and Native American students have lower retention rates compared to other racial and ethnic groups.

The number of Californians with some college experience but no credential in fall 2021, up from 5.6 million in fall 2023, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Retention rates at California’s four-year public university systems are higher. Compared with students at four-year institutions, community college students are more likely to be parents and to work while attending college. Those additional responsibilities can interrupt their education, said Olga Rodriguez, the director of the Public Policy Institute of California’s Higher Education Center. 

As a result of community colleges’ low tuition and nonselective admissions policies, more students have been enrolling in postsecondary education. But that broader access has also contributed to a growing number of Californians who have some college experience but no degree, said Joshua Hagen, the vice president of policy and advocacy at Campaign for College Opportunity.

Students who invest in postsecondary education but do not earn a credential miss out on the full financial benefits of a college degree, Hagen said.

Still, the push to enroll more students is worthwhile because even some college education, without a degree, can provide financial benefits to workers, said Michal Kurlaender, a UC Davis professor of education policy. 

Even so, Kurlaender and Hagen emphasized that California colleges and universities must do more to retain students if the state hopes to reach its goal of having 70% of Californians earn a postsecondary credential by 2030.

Data Source: California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office; National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

EdSource is California’s largest independent newsroom focused on education.