Recent High School Graduates Increasingly Staying in College for Their Second Year

New report finds broad gains in postsecondary persistence, with high-poverty high schools showing the largest increases

HERNDON, Va., Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The percentage of recent high school graduates who enroll in college and stay for a second year (persistence) increased across all high school income characteristics, according to new research from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

The 2026 High School Benchmarks report details the increase in "persistence"—the share of students who enrolled in higher education within one year of high school graduation and then continued into their second year of higher education—and finds steady rates in overall college enrollment of recent high school graduates. The new report also finds that graduates of high-poverty high schools experienced the largest increase in both persistence and enrollment within two years of high school graduation.

"The improvements in persistence are modest, but they point to more students enrolling and persisting in college," said Matthew Holsapple, Senior Director of Research at the National Student Clearinghouse. "What stands out most is that graduates of high-poverty high schools saw the largest gains in both enrollment and persistence."

Persistence increased across the board: Among students who enrolled in higher education within one year of graduating high school, the share who continued into a second year increased across every high school characteristic between the 2022 and 2023 graduating classes.

Graduates of high-poverty high schools experienced the largest gain, with persistence increasing 1.7 percentage points (pp) to 76.0 percent. Graduates of low-poverty high schools also saw a notable increase of 1.2pp, reaching 90.6 percent.

Persistence also increased among graduates from urban and rural high schools, by 0.7pp and 0.8pp, respectively. Suburban graduates remained steady, increasing 0.3pp to 86.8 percent.

Despite the broad improvement, substantial disparities remain. The difference in persistence rates between graduates of high-poverty and low-poverty high schools was 14.6pp for the 2023 high school graduating class.

College enrollment remained largely steady: Rates of immediate fall enrollment, which is the share of high school graduates enrolling in college the first fall after graduation, were steady between the 2024 and 2025 graduating classes. Across all high school characteristics, immediate enrollment rates fluctuated less than one percentage point.

The rate of high school graduates who enrolled within one year of graduation either held steady or declined between the 2023 and 2024 high school graduating classes. After accounting for changes in how schools were classified by income and poverty during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment within one year remained virtually unchanged across income and high-poverty classifications.

Enrollment within two years remained steady or increased across all high school characteristics between the 2022 and 2023 graduating classes.

High-poverty high school graduates saw gains in enrollment and persistence: Graduates of high-poverty high schools experienced some of the report's most notable gains. Enrollment within two years increased 2.1pp to 58.7 percent, the largest increase among the high school groups examined. Persistence also increased the most for this group, rising 1.7pp to 76.0 percent.

The gains are particularly noteworthy given the persistent disparities in postsecondary outcomes by school poverty level. For the class of 2025, 22.3 percent of graduates from high-poverty high schools who immediately enrolled attended a two-year institution, 8.5pp higher than graduates of low-poverty high schools. The difference in four-year attendance between the two groups reversed direction with a difference of 31.2pp between low-poverty and high-poverty high school graduates.

These disparities increase beyond student enrollment. The difference in six-year completion rates between graduates of high- and low-poverty high schools was 34.2pp.

A closer look at STEM completion: Income and poverty characteristics drive the largest differences in the share of STEM completers compared to high school urbanicity or minority status. Large differences are evident across high school poverty status, with a 14.8pp difference between high- and low-poverty high school graduates. Differences are also evident across high school income status, though they are smaller compared to the poverty differences (8.4pp).

About the National Student Clearinghouse^® Research Center™
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed in 1993. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. To learn more, visit nscresearchcenter.org.

SOURCE National Student Clearinghouse