Guide to US College Dropout Rates

Q: What is the average college dropout rate in the U.S.?

The average college dropout rate is 24.1% for first-time U.S. undergraduates. Colleges retained only 75.9% of their full-time freshman students from 2019 to 2020, according to recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Q: What makes college dropout rates so high?

Survey research by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) found the three most cited reasons respondents left their institution included financial reasons, family commitments, and respondents finding their school to be the wrong fit. Lack of time and health problems are other reasons a student may drop out, according to the survey.

Q: Is dropping out of college normal?

Yes, it’s normal for a student to drop out of college if the student has compelling reasons to disengage. Some of the most common reasons a student may disengage from higher education include financial costs, family commitments, and not finding college to be the right fit for them.

Sulaiman Abdur-RahmanUpdated January 18, 2023

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Editor’s note: Lantern by SoFi seeks to provide content that is objective, independent and accurate. Writers are separate from our business operation and do not receive direct compensation from advertisers or partners. Read more about our Editorial Guidelines and How We Make Money.

The U.S. college dropout rate is 24.1% for first-time undergraduates. Colleges retained only 75.9% of their full-time freshmen students from 2019 to 2020, according to recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics.College dropout rates tend to be higher at public schools than nonprofit private schools. Public institutions retained 74.8% of first-time undergrads compared with 80.2% retention at private nonprofit institutions, data show.Although the average college dropout rate is 24.1% for first-time undergraduates, the Harvard dropout rate is 4%. This is according to Harvard’s own data, which show the institution had a 96% retention rate of full-time students who entered as freshmen in fall 2020 and continued their enrollment into fall 2021.

What Is the Average College Dropout Rate in the US?

The average college dropout rate in the United States is 24.1% for first-time undergraduates. This is according to the Education Data Initiative and recent retention data from the National Center for Education Statistics.Dropping out of college means you’ve withdrawn from school without completing your degree or that you’ve transferred to another institution.As mentioned earlier, colleges retained only 75.9% of their full-time freshmen students from 2019 to 2020.

5 Majors With the Highest Dropout Rate

The following majors have the highest college dropout rates, according to Journeyz, a travel website that researched highest dropout rate by major:

1. Computer science — 10.7%

2. Advertising — 7.7%

3. Agriculture — 7.4%

4. Art — 7.3%

5. Architecture – 7.2%

Presenting the highest dropout rate by major doesn’t necessarily paint the full college dropout rate picture.Of the full-time students who first entered college in 2014 as freshmen, 64% of them received a bachelor’s degree within six years, 0.4% received an award below bachelor’s degree level, 12.2% transferred out, 2.1% remained enrolled, and 21.4% withdrew.

Dropout Rates by Type of Institution

Here are full-time student dropout rates by institution type:

Public Colleges

Public institutions retained 74.8% of first-time undergraduates from 2019 to 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.Of the full-time students who first entered a public college in 2014 as freshmen, 63.1% of them received a bachelor’s degree within six years, 0.3% received an award below bachelor’s degree level, 13.5% transferred out, 2.7% remained enrolled, and 20.4% withdrew.

Private Colleges

Nonprofit private colleges retained 80.2% of first-time undergrad students from 2019 to 2020, and for-profit private colleges retained 65.8% of first-time undergrads during that annual period, data show.Of the full-time students who first entered a nonprofit private college in 2014 as freshmen, 68% of them received a bachelor’s degree within six years, 0.4% received an award below bachelor’s degree level, 9.9% transferred out, 0.8% remained enrolled, and 20.9% withdrew.Of the full-time students who first entered a for-profit private college in 2014 as freshmen, 29.3% of them received a bachelor’s degree within six years, 1.1% received an award below bachelor’s degree level, 5% transferred out, 2.2% remained enrolled, and 62.4% withdrew.

Community College

Two-year institutions, also known as community colleges, retained 61% of first-time, full-time students from 2019 to 2020, data show.Of the first-time students who entered a two-year college program in 2017, 33.7% of them completed the program within three years and 42.4% withdrew from the program.

Ivy League Dropout Rates

As mentioned earlier, the Harvard dropout rate is 4%. Here are the dropout rates for all Ivy League institutions:

Brown: 98% freshman retention, 95.8% six-year graduation rate

Columbia (General Studies): 93% freshman retention, 97% six-year graduation rate

Columbia College and Columbia Engineering: 99% freshman retention, 95% six-year graduation rate

Cornell: 97% freshman retention, 94.77% six-year graduation rate

Dartmouth: 97.9% freshman retention, 94% six-year graduation rate

Harvard: 96% freshman retention, 96.7% six-year graduation rate

Penn: 97.7% freshman retention, 96.2% six-year graduation rate

Princeton: 95.8% freshman retention, 97.6% six-year graduation rate

Yale: 98% freshman retention, 96.9% six-year graduation rate

College Dropout Rate Demographics

Here are specific college dropout rates based upon demographics of full-time students:

First-time male students at four-year schools: 24.4% dropout rate

First-time male students at two-year schools: 45.1% dropout rate

First-time female students at four-year schools: 18.8% dropout rate

First-time female students at two-year schools: 39.8% dropout rate

First-time Black students at four-year schools: 33.6% dropout rate

First-time Black students at two-year schools: 52.4% dropout rate

First-time white students at four-year schools: 18.6% dropout rate

First-time white students at two-year schools: 38.7% dropout rate

First-time Hispanic students at four-year schools: 24.8% dropout rate

First-time Hispanic students at two-year schools: 44.2% dropout rate

First-time Asian students at four-year schools: 12.3% dropout rate

First-time Asian students at two-year schools: 29% dropout rate

First-time Pacific Islander students at four-year school: 33.9% dropout rate

First-time Pacific Islander students at two-year schools: 48.9% dropout rate

First-time American Indian and Alaska Native students at four-year schools: 37.4% dropout rate

First-time American Indian and Alaska Native students at two-year schools: 49.7% dropout rate

Pros and Cons of Dropping Out of College

The below table highlights the pros and cons of dropping out of college

Pros of dropping out	Cons of dropping out
You can pursue other endeavors more important to you	Repaying any student loans you’ve borrowed can be particularly burdensome
You may consider re-enrolling in the future while exploring other opportunities	You get no degree or certificate
Having some college experience may enhance your job prospects	You don’t get the full college experience

College Dropout Rates by Year

One way of measuring college dropout rates is by calculating the percentage of students who didn’t drop out in their freshman year. This is known as the annual retention rate of first-year students, which we highlight below:

2015–16 freshman retention rate: 75.3%

2016–17 freshman retention rate: 75.5%

2017–18 freshman retention rate: 75.6%

2018–19 freshman retention rate: 76.2%

2019–20 freshman retention rate: 75.9%

College Dropout Career Prospects

Your career prospects may be limited if you have some college experience but no degree. It can be difficult to pursue certain employment opportunities without having a bachelor’s or higher. Workers with some college but no degree may also earn less money than the average worker.People with bachelor’s degrees can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars more in median lifetime earnings than high school graduates. One of the main reasons why people drop out of college, however, is the high cost of tuition and fees.Recommended: Guide to the Price of College Over Time

Paying Off Student Loans After Dropping Out

Student loan borrowers who drop out of college still have an obligation to repay the loans. If you’ve dropped out of college and have outstanding student debt, here are some potential repayment options you may consider:

Student Loan Refinancing

You may refinance student loans without a degree. What is student loan refinancing? This is the process of getting a private lender to pay off a portion of your existing student debt as part of a new loan agreement.Private lenders can set their own underwriting standards, but some may require applicants to have steady income and good credit. For subprime borrowers, it might be difficult to refinance student loans with bad credit.Here are some potential points to consider:

There are some potential advantages and disadvantages of student loan refinancing
One of the advantages of refinancing student loans is it may provide you with a lower interest rate

You may refinance a portion of your student loans if you qualify for student loan refinancing

You can refinance federal student loans and private student loans, but the portion of your federal student debt that you refinance loses its eligibility for certain debt relief programs

Refinancing all of your federal student debt may not be right for you if you’re eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Public employees, teachers, and service members of the U.S. armed forces may be eligible for federal student loan forgiveness

Income-driven student loan repayment plans may also lead to federal debt relief for some borrowers

Student Loan Grants

It can be difficult to qualify for student loan repayment assistance if you’ve dropped out of school. Many state-based student loan forgiveness programs are only available to medical professionals, teachers, and lawyers.Student loan borrowers who enlist in the U.S. armed forces may be eligible for military student loan forgiveness.

Employers That Pay Back Student Loans

Employer student loan repayment assistance programs can provide eligible employees with thousands of dollars in student loan repayment benefits. This is essentially a grant that can help you pay off student loans early.If you have federal or private student debt and work for an employer that offers student loan repayment assistance, you may receive this benefit. Employers may provide you with tax-free educational benefits of up to $5,250 each year through at least 2025.

Check Your Student Loan Refinancing Rates

Student loan refinancing may be right for you if you can lock in a lower interest rate. Lantern by SoFi can help you compare student loan refinance rates. Explore your options without impacting your credit score and consider applying with a lender of your choice.*Find and compare student loan refinance options with Lantern.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average college dropout rate in the U.S.?

What makes college dropout rates so high?

Is dropping out of college normal?

Photo credit: iStock/LumiNola

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About the Author

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman writes about personal loans, auto loans, student loans, and other personal finance topics for Lantern. He’s the recipient of more than 10 journalism awards and served as a New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists board member. An alumnus of the Philadelphia-based Temple University, Abdur-Rahman is a strong advocate of the First Amendment and freedom of speech.

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