Retention (Fall to Winter)
Attending college for longer than a single term is generally needed for new students to achieve their educational goal. Additionally, when students re-enroll the next immediate term, they are more likely to continue their successful academic progression.
The following retention rates are based on fall to winter enrollments of *first time in college students who were began their studies at PCC in a fall term. This was approximately 5,009 students in fall 2023.
| Enrollment Period | F19-W20 | F20-W21 | F21-W22 | F22-W23 | F23-W24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall to Winter Retention | 74.7% | 72.8% | 71.5% | 72.9% | 74.7% |
The percentage of new fall 2023 PCC students who returned to PCC in winter 2024 equals that of the fall 2019 to winter 2020 retention rate (pre-pandemic).
Equity Gaps
Equity gap refers to any disparity in a metric along racial, socioeconomic, gender or other demographic grouping. These gaps lead the college to ask “what processes, policies or practices are in place that create or exacerbate these disparities?” rather than “what is the student doing wrong?”
| Characteristic | Retention Range (low to high) | Equity Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | 74.2% to 75.2% (Male to Female) | 1% point |
| Pell Status | 73.4% to 76.9% (No Pell to Awarded Pell) | 3.5% points |
| Race/Ethnicity |
72.4% to 76.2% (Black/African American to Asian) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (63.8%, 47 students) |
3.8% points |
| Age | 64.7% to 80.5% (20-24 years to < 20 years) | 15.8% points |
| **First Generation | 73.0% to 76.2% (1st Gen to Not 1st Gen) | 3.2% points |
Comparisons to the prior year fall to winter retention
- Retention rates showed improvement among both male and female students.
- While Pell-awarded students exhibited higher retention rates compared to non-Pell-awarded students, the equity gap narrowed from 7% to 3.5% points.
- Retention rates for both first-generation and non-first-generation students improved, although the equity gap increased slightly from 2% to 3.2% points.
- The age equity gap widened as a result of increased retention among younger students in contrast to other age groups.
- The race/ethnicity gap decreased from 8.5% to 3.8%, driven by increased retention among Black/African American students and reduced retention among Asian students.
- However, the equity gap for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students (12.7% points) widened significantly compared to the prior year.
- Detailed retention rates and changes for each race/ethnicity group are outlined below.
Race/ethnicity (fall 2023 count) F23-W24 % points change compared to F22-W23 American Indian/Alaska Native (n=40) 67.5% +1.2% Asian (n=344) 76.2% -2.4% Black or African American (n=279) 72.4% +2.3% Hispanic or Latino (n=1,281) 73.5% 0.5% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Island (n=47) 63.8% -15.3% Two or more races (n=351) 73.5% -0.4% Not Reported (n=276) 82.25% +10.25% White (n=2,360) 74.8% +2.6%
*Students were designated as first time in college if they did not previously attended PCC and did not provide a transcript from another institution. This methodology differs from that used in IPEDS reporting.
**First generation students are from families where neither parent nor guardian have completed a four-year degree.
Data Source: Argos