The U.S. Is Slipping On College Completion: Here's How We Can Regain The Momentum

The United States is at a crossroads when it comes to college completion. More than a decade ago, a bipartisan collective of states and governors set ambitious higher education goals because they recognized their economic futures depended on increasing the number of adults with post-high school education or training. This goal was also championed by President Barack Obama, who pledged to return the U.S. to its status as the first in the world for college completion.

These initial reforms have been largely successful. Between 2009 and 2022, the number of American adults holding college degrees, certificates, or certifications jumped 16 percentage points. Since 2015, the national completion rate — that is, the percentage of students who complete their college studies — has grown by nine percentage points and now stands at 62.2%.

But in recent years, however, progress has stalled. Only four states — Utah, Colorado, Minnesota, and Massachusetts — and the District of Columbia have exceeded the national 60% benchmark for college attainment. Most states are falling short, some by significant margins.

Though undergraduate enrollment is once again on the rise, fighting against years of decline, including fewer students enrolling immediately in college after high school graduation in 2021, and public disillusionment with higher education that continues to grow.

The trends in college matriculation and completion are concerning because by 2031 an estimated 72% of U.S. jobs will require postsecondary education or training. Without a renewed focus on college access and completion, American companies are at risk of lacking the workers they need — and many Americans could be left behind.

It's clear that after a decade of progress, our nation is slipping on college completion. To reverse this decline, college and university leaders and policymakers should renew this critical work and reinvest in programs that will help more Americans obtain a credential of value. Here are the steps that we as a nation should take to regain that momentum:

At the state level, higher education funding should be linked to completion. Complete College America, where I serve as president, recently published a report that urges state policymakers to end unfunded mandates that push institutions to improve graduation rates but without adequate resources.

Instead, state dollars should be spent on proven evidence-based reforms that can help institutions increase completion rates. Institutions should then be held accountable for reaching completion goals. State policymakers should ensure that their residents have the skills and knowledge to meet statewide workforce needs and earn a livable wage. Increasing completion rates meet both mandates.

Likewise, federal policy should shift from access to completion. Since the 1960s, the federal government has committed vast resources to the cause of college access, to the tune of tens of billions of dollars each year in Pell Grants and tens of billions more underwriting student loans. This federal largesse has opened the college doors more widely to more students.

But access doesn't mean success. Just 53% of Pell Grant recipients at four-year institutions graduate within six years, and only a third who use Pell funds to attend a community college graduate within three years. Federal funding should support programs with proven track records — programs such as success coaching, mental health, basic needs, emergency aid and child care — that can help learners remain in school and stay on pace to earn a credential.

At the institutional level, colleges and universities should commit to implementing, scaling and sustaining transformational efforts to increase student confidence in the value of their degree — an essential piece of the completion puzzle.

Developing curricula and offering work-based learning opportunities can promote greater satisfaction among students by offering them real-world skills and résumé-building experiences. For example, students who participate in paid internships report increased confidence in their skill sets and the value of their education. They are also more likely to recommend their schools than students who didn't participate in these opportunities.

These efforts can help pay off in perpetuity as well. Alumni who feel their education positively impacted their career outcomes are more likely to donate in the future. Evidence-based practices do exist that can close stubborn and troubling gaps in college access, completion and career outcomes. Rather than trying to reinvent the proverbial wheel, institutions should work with state and national partners — including employers — to adopt the strategies that can work best for their students.

The lessons from the past decade are clear. When there's a collective will to help more Americans earn college degrees, we can find a way to do it. But the recent lack of progress around college completion suggests that our nation might have lost its way. Just as they did a decade ago, governors, state legislators and education leaders still recognize that state economic vitality and growth depend in no small part on producing a trained and educated workforce.

As our economy and society evolve more rapidly than ever, the stakes grow only higher. Renewing the critical reform work of the past decade is an educational, workforce, and economic imperative. The good news is there's still time for states to get on track to meet their ambitious completion goals. State and federal policymakers and institutions should take the next step in advancing college completion before it's too late.