Less than half (47%) of students whose college closed re-enrolled in another institution, according to a new report. Those who did return tended to stick to a similar institution. For example, students who experienced closures at private four-year institutions were most likely to re-enroll in the same sector, while those who experienced closures at two-year for-profit institutions were most likely to re-enroll at a community college (49%).
However, one-third of students (33%) who experienced a closure at a two-year for-profit re-enrolled in the for-profit sector.
These are some of the findings in a new study from the National Student Clearinghouse and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, which is based on 143,215 students who were enrolled in 467 institutions that closed between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2020.
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Half of the closed schools were two-year for-profits, 28% were four-year for-profits and about 18% were four-year, private, nonprofit institutions. Most students (83%) experienced closures at for-profit institutions — 46% at for-profit four-year institutions and about 37% at for-profit two-year institutions.
More than two-thirds of students experienced an abrupt closure, meaning they had little warning of the closure and no teach-out arrangments for continuing their education, the report says.
Forty-two percent of students who experienced a closure were enrolled in associate degree programs at the time of the closure, followed by undergraduate certificate programs (21%) and bachelor’s degree programs (18%). The largest proportion of students was enrolled in health professional and related clinical sciences (29%) at the time of the closure, followed by: computer and information sciences and support (16%); business, management and marketing (14%); and engineering technologies (12%).
Re-enrollment rates were highest among females (55%), White students (25%) and traditional college-age students (18-24-year-olds). Of those who did re-enroll, about 30% did so within a month of the college closure, with 26% stopping out for at least a year.
More than one-third (37%) of students who re-enrolled earned a postsecondary credential after a closure. Those who re-enrolled within one to four months were most likely to earn a credential (48%), while those who stopped out for more than a year were least likely to earn one (19%).
