Indicator: First-year credit accumulation Breadcrumb Home Indicators First-year Credit Accumulation Definition Students attempt and complete sufficient credits during their first undergraduate year to be on track for on-time degree completion. Recommended Metric(s) Percentage of students attempting and completing sufficient credits toward on-time completion in their first year: 30 credits for full-time and 15 credits for part-time studentsView CEDS ConnectionPercentage of students attempting and completing sufficient credits toward on-time completion in their first year: 30 credits for full-time and 15 credits for part-time studentsCEDS Connections offer guidance, including data elements and step-by-step analysis recommendations, for how to calculate select metrics. Type(s) of Data Needed Administrative data; student transcripts Why it matters On-track credit accumulation is positively associated with degree completion.1, 2, 3 One study found that students who complete more than 20 credits in their first year are nearly three times as likely to complete a degree, certificate, or transfer than students who earn less than 20 credits in their first year.4 Research also suggests disparities in credit accumulation, with students from low-income households, first-generation students, Black students, and Latino students accumulating credits less quickly relative to others.5, 6, 7 What to know about measurement Data on first-year credit accumulation currently are not widely available to the public because they are not included in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). However, colleges collect these measures, and the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) offers the Postsecondary Data Partnership service to help them track and analyze these data, including benchmarking against other institutions. Credit accumulation is generally comparable across institutions, though there may be some institution-specific differences in how credits are assigned to classes. E-W Case Studies Image California's Cradle-to-Career Data System California is developing a data system that brings together data from early learning programs, schools, colleges, financial aid providers, employers, workforce training programs, and social services. View Case Study Image National Student Clearinghouse Postsecondary Data Partnership The National Student Clearinghouse launched this partnership to equip participating postsecondary institutions with timely data and tools that can inform decision making. View Case Study Source frameworks This indicator appeared in five source frameworks reviewed for this report. Our proposed measure aligns with work by the Institute for Higher Education Policy. References 1Adelman, C. (2006). The toolbox revisited: Paths to degree completion from high school through college. U.S. Department of Education. https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/toolboxrevisit/toolbox.pdf 2Attewell, P., & Monaghan, D. (2016). How many credits should an undergraduate take? Research in Higher Education, 57, 682–713. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-015-9401-z3Belfield, C., Jenkins, D., & Lahr, H. (2016). Momentum: The academic and economic value of a 15-credit first semester course load for college students in Tennessee. Community College Research Center. http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/momentum-15-credit-course-load.pdf4Moore, C., Shulock, N., & Offerstein, J. (2009). Steps to success: Analyzing milestone achievement to improve community college student outcomes. Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy. https://edinsightscenter.org/Portals/0/ReportPDFs/steps-to-success.pdf?ver=2016-01-15-155407-9735McCormick, A. C., & Carroll, C. D. (1999). Credit production and progress toward the bachelor’s degree: An analysis of postsecondary transcripts for beginning students at 4-year institutions. Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=1999179 6Chen, X., & Carroll, C. D. (2005). First generation students in postsecondary education: A look at their college transcripts. National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005171.pdf7See Moore et al. (2009).