More students are getting to college and staying, but where they come from matters.

More Students Are Enrolling and Staying in College

New National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data offers some welcome news: recent high school graduates are enrolling in college at slightly higher rates and are increasingly returning for a second year. The gains are particularly notable among graduates of high-poverty high schools, whose persistence rate rose 1.7 percentage points to 76 percent. Yet significant disparities remain, including a nearly 15-point persistence gap between graduates of high- and low-poverty high schools. The data also reinforces the important role of community colleges, with 22.3 percent of 2025 graduates from high-poverty schools immediately enrolling at two-year institutions.

Key Takeaway: Improving access is only half the equation. Colleges need intentional onboarding, advising and ongoing support that helps students persist once they arrive.

More Students With Disabilities Are Identifying Their Support Needs

The number of colleges where at least 10 percent of undergraduates report having a disability has increased sharply. In 2020-21, 399 institutions reported that level; by 2024-25, the number had grown to 621, a 50 percent increase in five years. The data includes students formally registered with disability services for learning, visual, hearing, speech, orthopedic and other health impairments. Because students are not required to disclose disabilities, the numbers can also reflect awareness of services and students' willingness and ability to access support.

Quick Insight: Accessibility can no longer sit at the edges of the student experience. Institutions should consider it in course design, orientation, communications and student support from the beginning.

HBCU Enrollment Growth Offers Lessons About Belonging and Institutional Identity

While many colleges are confronting enrollment declines, a number of historically Black colleges and universities are experiencing significant growth. Federal data shows that 42 of 101 HBCUs increased enrollment between 2019 and 2024, including major gains at Howard University, Morgan State University and Virginia State University. Growth has created its own challenges as institutions work to expand housing, dining, instruction and other services to accommodate more students. The trend also highlights the potential importance of institutional identity, community and students' sense that a college is a place where they belong.

Key Insight: Enrollment growth brings an important second question: Is the institution prepared to deliver the academic, social and operational experience students expect once they arrive?

A Changing Job Market Is Renewing the Conversation About Versatile Degrees

As hiring has slowed across many fields, new LinkedIn data analyzed by Investopedia examines which college majors give graduates the greatest flexibility to move across industries. The analysis looks at hiring trends among the 20 most popular bachelor's degree majors and measures how frequently recent graduates work outside their major's most common industries. The findings suggest that adaptability, including skills associated with liberal arts education, may be increasingly valuable as graduates navigate a labor market being reshaped by technology and AI. For colleges, that creates an opportunity to connect academic programs more explicitly to transferable skills and career outcomes.

Takeaway: Career readiness is not simply about preparing students for their first job. Colleges can help students recognize and articulate the durable skills that allow them to adapt throughout their careers.

Turn Student Support Into Student Success

Getting students enrolled is only the beginning. Innovative Educators helps colleges create connected student experiences through online orientation, student success workshops, resource hubs and scalable support that reaches students when they need it most. Explore student success solutions at InnovativeEducators.org.

Published: September 20, 2026