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Guide to US College Dropout Rates

USA College Dropout Rate Examined
Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman
Sulaiman Abdur-RahmanUpdated January 18, 2023
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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and recent retention data from the National Center for Education Statistics.Dropping out of college means you’ve withdrawn from school without completing your degree or that you’ve transferred to another institution.As mentioned earlier, colleges retained only 75.9% of their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 outCons of dropping out
You can pursue other endeavors more important to youRepaying any student loans you’ve borrowed can be particularly burdensome
You may consider re-enrolling in the future while exploring other opportunitiesYou get no degree or certificate
Having some college experience may enhance your job prospectsYou 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:
  • 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
  • Public employees, teachers, and service members of the U.S. armed forces may be eligible for federal student loan forgiveness

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?
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About the Author

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman

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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