Indicator: 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 students

CEDS Connection

Note: CEDS 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. 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. 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.

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

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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
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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

The framework's recommendations are based on syntheses of existing research. Please see the framework report for a list of works cited.