Retention (Fall to Fall)
Many students need to enroll at the college for more than one year to complete a PCC credential, prepare for transfer, or achieve other educational goals. The following fall to fall retention rates represent the proportion of first-time college students from each fall cohort who re-enrolled at PCC in the subsequent fall term.
| Enrollment Period | F20-F21 | F21-F22 | F22-F23 | F23-F24 | F24-F25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall to Fall Retention | 46.0% | 45.4% | 50.4% | 52.2% | 52.5% |
- Fall to fall retention of first time in college students ranges from 45.4% (F21-F22) to 52.5% (F24-F25).
- The two most recent fall to fall retention rates are higher than those of the previous three periods.
Equity Gaps
The term equity gap refers to disparities in outcomes across racial, socioeconomic, gender, or other demographic characteristics. These gaps prompt the college to examine what processes, policies, or practices may contribute to or reinforce such disparities.
| F23 to F24 Rates by | Range (low to high) | Equity Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | 51.3% to 53.2% (Male to Female) | <2% points |
| Enrollment Intensity | 28.1% to 64.8% (<6 credits to 12+ credits) | 36.7% points |
| Pell Status | 52.1% to 53.2% (No Pell to Awarded Pell) | <2% points |
| Race/Ethnicity | 29.6% (Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) to 58.1% (Asian) | 28.5% points |
| Age | 38.2% to 61.6% (30 and Older to Under 20 years) | 23.4% points |
| First-Generation | 49.7% to 54.7% (1st Gen to Not 1st Gen) | 5% points |
- Fall to fall retention rates are similar regardless of a student’s sex or whether they received a Pell Grant.
- In contrast, the biggest gap in retention appears when looking at enrollment intensity. Students enrolled full-time (12 or more credits) are retained at much higher rates than those enrolled part-time and less.
- Retention is highest among students under age 20 and lowest among students age 30 and older. This trend remains true even when considering how many credits (enrollment intensity) students take.
- First generation students, defined as students whose parents did not complete a bachelor’s degree, are retained at a lower rate than students with at least one parent who earned a 4-year degree.
- Retention rates fluctuate the most from year to year among American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students, largely due to the small size of these student populations. Consequently, the five-year range for these groups is wider than for all other racial/ethnic groups.
| Race/ethnicity | F24-F25 | 5-Year Range (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native, n=28 | 46.4% | 26.9% (F21F22) to 52.4% (F22F23) |
| Asian, n=434 | 58.1% | 53.3% (F21F22) to 60.0% (F23F24) |
| Black or African American, n=309 | 47.2% | 41.7% (F23F24) to 49.4% (F22F23) |
| Hispanic or Latino, n=1,395 | 55.5% | 46.9% (F21F22) to 55.5% (F24F25) |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, n=27 | 29.6% | 29.6% (F24F25) to 58.8% (F21F22) |
| Two or more races, n=351 | 56.1% | 44.3% (F20F21) to 56.1% (F24F25) |
| Not Reported, n=220 | 51.0% | 42.8% (F21F22) to 56.5% (F23F24) |
| White, n=2,512 | 49.9% | 43.5% (F21F22) to 52.0% (F23F24 |
Data Source: Argos, YESS, Retention
Updated October 23, 2025