According to the National Student Clearinghouse, Kentucky’s one-year gains in undergraduate persistence and retention were the highest in the nation from 2023 to 2024, increasing 9.8 and 7.9 percentage points, respectively.
As a result of the increases, Kentucky now surpasses the national average in both persistence and retention, marking a significant rebound from the pandemic period, when the state lagged on both measures. Kentucky’s current persistence rate is 85.3%, and its retention rate is 74%, compared to national averages of 77.6% and 69.5%, respectively.
Persistence rates measure how many undergraduate students — at both two- and four-year public and private institutions — beginning in the fall are still enrolled at any college or university the following fall. Retention rates, on the other hand, reflect undergraduates starting in the fall who are still enrolled at their native institution one year later. The 2024 rate reflects students who started in 2023, while the 2023 rate reflects students starting in 2022.
“Kentucky’s postsecondary institutions have done a lot in recent years to reduce student attrition, which is reflected in these gains,” said Dr. Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. “One of the most impactful changes was eliminating non-credit bearing remedial courses and mainstreaming these students into regular courses with supplemental supports. Providing more dual credit experiences in high school also has increased academic readiness, leading to better student outcomes.”
Other than Kentucky, the states with the largest gains in persistence and retention were Delaware, Mississippi, North Carolina and Arkansas. The District of Columbia had the highest persistence and retention rates overall (at 92.1% and 86%) from 2023 to 2024.
The entire report can be accessed at nscresearchcenter.org.
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education