Momentum Points
Momentum points measure the progress of a cohort of first-time in college students during their first year of college. Research shows that students who reach these milestones are more likely to achieve their educational goals. Because momentum points occur early in a student’s academic journey, they provide timely feedback on whether PCC is helping students build early academic momentum.
Momentum Points Defined
A cohort of students enrolling in college for the first-time in a fall term are tracked through these metrics:
- By the end of their first term, successful completion of 6+ or 12+ college-level credits, and
- By the end of their first year, successful completion of 24+, 36+ or 45+ college-level credits, and college-level math, writing, both math and writing.
Findings
| Successful Completion at end of 1st Term | F2020 Cohort | F2021 Cohort | F2022 Cohort | F2023 Cohort | F2024 Cohort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6+ college credits | 57.3% | 50.0% | 52.1% | 54.9% | 55.6% |
| 12+ college credits | 23.8% | 21.7% | 21.2% | 23.8% | 23.3% |
- A higher percentage of fall 2024 cohort students completed six or more credits compared to the prior three cohorts.
- The percentage of students completing 12 or more credits was just slightly lower than the previous fall cohort.
| Successful Completion by end of 1st Year | F2020 Cohort | F2021 Cohort | F2022 Cohort | F2023 Cohort | F2024 Cohort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24+ college credits | 34.8% | 32.4% | 32.7% | 34.8% | 35.7% |
| 36+ college credits | 13.2% | 12.6% | 12.3% | 13.4% | 14.2% |
| 45+ college credits | 1.95% | 2.1% | 1.5% | 2.0% | 2.3% |
- Credit accumulation by the end of the first year for the fall 2024 cohort exceeded that of previous cohorts.
| Successful Completion by end of 1st Year | F2020 Cohort | F2021 Cohort | F2022 Cohort | F2023 Cohort | F2024 Cohort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Writing | 49.8% | 46.2% | 46.7% | 46.7% | 48.9% |
| College Math | 28.4% | 25.4% | 22.6% | 18.2% | 20.0% |
| College WR and MTH | 22.6% | 20.0% | 17.7% | 15.2% | 15.9% |
- A higher percentage of fall 2024 cohort students completed college writing by the end of their first year compared to the previous three cohorts.
- The percentages of the cohort completing college math and both writing and math, were greater than in the prior year but still lagged behind most earlier cohorts.
Note: College-level credits are associated with courses numbered 100-level and higher
Source: Argos, YESS, Momentum Points, July 2025