Retention (Fall to Winter)
Attending college for longer than a single term is generally needed for new students to achieve their educational goal. Additionally, when students re-enroll the next immediate term, they are more likely to continue their successful academic progression.
The following retention rates are based on fall to winter enrollments of *first time in college students who began their studies at PCC in a fall term.? This was approximately 5,299 students in fall 2024.
| Time Period | F20-W21 | F21-W22 | F22-W23 | F23-W24 | F24-W25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall to Winter | 72.8% | 71.5% | 72.9% | 74.7% | 74.1% |
The percentage of new fall 2024 PCC students who returned to PCC in winter 2025 is slightly lower than the retention rate from fall 2023 to winter 2024, though both are comparable to pre-pandemic levels.
Equity Gaps
Equity gap refers to any disparity in a metric along racial, socioeconomic, gender or other demographic grouping. These gaps lead the college to ask “what processes, policies or practices are in place that create or exacerbate these disparities?”
| Characteristic | ?Retention Range (low to high) | Equity Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | 72.7% to 75.2% (Male to Female) | 2.5% points |
| Pell Status | 71.2% to 78.6% (No Pell to Awarded Pell) | 7.4% points |
| Race/Ethnicity |
68.0% to 80.9% (Black/African American to Asian) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (55.6%, 27 students), Native American/Alaska Native (89.3%, 28 students) |
12.9% points |
| Age | 63.3% to 81.3% (25-29 years to < 20 years) | 18.0% points |
| **First Generation | 72.9% to 74.6% (Not 1st Gen to 1st Gen) | 1.7% points |
| Disability | 73.6% to 79.4%? (No reported Disability to reported Disability) | 5.8% points |
| Veteran Status | 67.7% to 74.2% (Veteran to Non-Veteran) | 6.5% points |
Comparisons to the prior year fall to winter retention
- Retention rates declined for male students, while remaining steady for female students.
- Retention of Pell-awarded students increased while retention of non-Pell-awarded students decreased, widening the equity gap.
- In contrast to last year, first generation students had slightly higher retention rates than their non-first generation peers.
- Retention improved among students age 24 and younger, while it declined among older students.
- Comparisons for recently added data on disability and veteran status will be included in next year’s report.
Fall to winter retention of American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino students was higher than in the previous four years.? Among groups with a decline, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students, comprising 27 students, experienced a 5-year low.
| Race/ethnicity (fall 2024 count) | F24-W25 | 5-Year Range (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native (n=28) | 89.3% | 66.7% (F22W23) to 89.3% (F24W25) |
| Asian (n=434) | 80.9% | 76.2% (F23W24) to 80.9% (F24W25) |
| Black/African American (n=309) | 68.0% | 66.4% (F21W22) to 72.4% (F23W24) |
| Hispanic/Latino (n=1,395) | 75.8% | 69.2% (F21W22) to 75.8% (F24W25) |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (n=27) | 55.6% | 55.6% (F24W25) to 79.1% (F22W23) |
| Two or more races (n=351) | 73.2% | 72.0% (F20W21) to 75.1% (F21W22) |
| Not Reported (n=220) | 75.9% | 71.3% (F22W23) to 82.2% (F23W24) |
| White (n=2,512) | 72.6% | 71.3% (F21W22) to 74.8% (F23W24) |
*Students were designated as first time in college if they did not previously attended PCC and did not provide a transcript from another institution.? This methodology differs from that used in IPEDS reporting.
**First generation students are from families where neither parent nor guardian have completed a four-year degree.
Data Source: Argos, YESS, Retention Report