A report documents what many in higher education have been saying: Often students no longer follow a traditional path from college entry to degree at a single institution.
The report by the National Student Clearinghouse, in Herndon, Va., finds that one-third of all students transferred at least once within five years before earning a degree. Most did so in their second year (37 percent), although 22 percent switched in their fourth and fifth years—and 25 percent transferred more than once.
The analysis is based on enrollment data over five years for 2.8 million full- and part-time students of all ages in all institution types who began postsecondary education in the United States in fall 2006. The clearinghouse conducted the research in partnership with the Indiana University Project on Academic Success.
