Retention (Fall to Fall)
Students may need to enroll at the college for a period of one year or more to achieve their PCC credential, prepare for transfer, or attain other educational goals. The retention rates provided below are calculated based on the enrollment status of first-time college students who began their studies at PCC during a fall term and continued into the subsequent fall term.
| Enrollment Period | F18-F19 | F19-F20 | F20-F21 | F21-F22 | F22-F23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall to Fall Retention | 49.2% | 46.7% | 46.0% | 45.4% | 50.4% |
- The proportion of new first time in college fall PCC students who return to PCC the following fall ranges from 45.4% to 50.4%.
- Fall 2022 to Fall 2023 retention is higher than the prior four retention periods.
Equity Gaps
Equity gap refers to any disparity in a metric like graduation rate or term-to-term persistence along racial, socioeconomic, gender, or other demographic characteristic. These gaps lead the college to ask “what processes, policies or practices are in place that create or exacerbate these disparities?”
| Fall 2022 To Fall 2023 Rates by | Range (low to high) | Equity Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | 49.2% to 51.4% (Male to Female) | 2.2% points |
| Pell Status | 48.7% to 53.6% (No Pell to Awarded Pell) | 4.9% points |
| Race/Ethnicity | 47.4% to 59.5% (Two or More Races to Asian) | 12.5% points |
| Age | 36.2% to 58.3% (Age 20-24 to Under 20 years) | 22.1% points |
| First Generation | 49.4% to 51.2% (1st Gen to Not 1st Gen) | 1.8% points |
- The first generation status equity gap is the lowest while age followed by race/ethnicity gaps remain the highest.
- Females are retained at a higher rate than males.
- Pell recipients have higher retention rates than students not awarded Pell grants.
- Students under 20 years of age are retained at the highest rate while students age 20 to 24 are retained at the lowest rate.
- Non-first generation students have slightly higher fall to fall retention rates than first generation students.
Race/ethnicity F22-F23 Retention 5-Year Range (low to high) American Indian/Alaska Native, n=42 52.4% 26.9% (F21F22) to 52.4% (F22F23) Asian, n=332 59.9% 53.3% (F21F22) to 59.9% (F22F23) Black or African American, n=261 49.4% 43.4% (F21F22) to 49.4% (F22F23) Hispanic or Latino, n=1,177 52.6% 46.95% (F21F22) to 52.6% (F22F23) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, n=43 48.8% 38.9% (F20F21) to 58.8% (F21F22) Two or more races, n=331 47.4% 44.3% (F20F21) to 50.2% (F18F19) Not Reported, n=202 50.5% 42.8% (F21F22) to 51.5% (F18F19) White, n=2,298 48.0% 43.5% (F21F22) to 48.3% (F18F19)
Data Source: Argos, YESS, Retention