Regional Peers – Retention
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) has eliminated the regional peer comparison group requirement in its revised 2027 Standards for Accreditation. This page will be removed after the formal adoption of the standards in fall 2026.
The continued enrollment of new to college students from their first fall term to the second fall term helps students maintain academic momentum, a leading indicator of subsequent goal completion. Most recently, 56% of PCC first time in college credential-seeking students who were enrolled full-time fall in 2021, returned to PCC in fall 2022.
The regional peer group consists of six community colleges. Fall 2021 to fall 2022 full-time student retention rates among regional peers ranged from 55% to 70% with four peer colleges reporting a higher retention rate than PCC. The retention of students enrolled part-time ranged from 28% to 47% and five colleges reported higher retention rates than PCC.
| Fall Student Cohort | Peer Range (low to high) | PCC Retention | Peers w/higher rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 (to 2022) | 55% – 70% | 56% | 4 colleges |
| 2020 (to 2021) | 53% – 68% | 61% | 1 college |
| 2019 (to 2020) | 55% – 63% | 62% | 1 college |
| 2018 (to 2019) | 58% – 66% | 65% | 1 college |
| 2017 (to 2018) | 58% – 69% | 63% | 2 colleges |
| Fall Student Cohort | Peer Range (low to high) | PCC Retention | Peers w/higher rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 (to 2022) | 28% – 47% | 34% | 5 colleges |
| 2020 (to 2021) | 27% – 50% | 37% | 3 colleges |
| 2019 (to 2020) | 24% – 48% | 41% | 1 college |
| 2018 (to 2019) | 20% – 45% | 44% | 2 colleges |
| 2017 (to 2018) | 23% – 45% | 45% | 0 colleges |
Data Source: IPEDS, Fall Enrollment Reports