Tennessee College Going & the Class of 2024
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| Title: | Tennessee College Going & the Class of 2024 |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (THEC/TSAC) |
| Source: | Tennessee Higher Education Commission. 2025. |
| Availability: | Tennessee Higher Education Commission. 404 James Robertson Parkway Suite 1900, Nashville, TN 37243. Tel: 615-741-3605; Fax: 615-741-6230; Web site: http://www.tn.gov/thec |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 38 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research Numerical/Quantitative Data |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges |
| Descriptors: | High School Graduates, College Bound Students, Postsecondary Education, College Enrollment, Public Schools, Enrollment Rate, Enrollment Influences, Program Effectiveness, White Students, Hispanic American Students, Females, Minority Group Students, Underserved Students, Economically Disadvantaged, Dual Enrollment, In State Students, Adult Students, Alignment (Education), Labor Force Development, High School Seniors, Student Participation, Public Colleges, Private Colleges, Wages, Graduation Rate, African American Students, Associate Degrees, Student Financial Aid, Labor Market |
| Geographic Terms: | Tennessee |
| Abstract: | College-going rate indicates the portion of public high school graduates who seamlessly enroll (i.e., immediately after high school) in postsecondary education. This year's college-going rate report focuses on the class of 2024. College going is slightly down for the class of 2024 by 0.7 percentage points compared to the class of 2023, for a statewide college-going rate of 56.0%. This modest decrease is likely due to the significant challenges associated with the 2023-2024 FAFSA rollout. Additionally, the graduating class of 2024 had a higher high school graduation rate, so the 2024 cohort was one of the largest in the last decade. Encouragingly, as the cohort grew, the total number of high school graduates enrolling in postsecondary education increased, reaching the highest level in the past five years. College going for the class of 2024 declined across most race/ethnicity and gender pairs. However, these decreases are not evenly distributed. The overall statewide rate fell by 0.7 percentage point, but Hispanic/Latino males experienced the steepest decline at 1.1 percentage points, followed by Hispanic/Latino females and Black or African American males, both at 0.6 percentage points. Females in the "Other" race/ethnicity category were the only subgroup to see an increase, at 0.2 percentage points. Gaps between gender and race/ethnicity groups widened slightly for the class of 2024. College-going rates for students who are economically disadvantaged show stark differences between student groups. Economically disadvantaged is a designation used at the K-12 level to indicate socioeconomic status and includes students who are in foster care, homeless, migrant students, runaway students, and students who participate in federal/state income/nutrition programs. For the class of 2024, economically disadvantaged students had a 38.7% college-going rate, while their non-economically disadvantaged peers had a 64.9% college-going rate. This year's report includes new analysis to examine the postsecondary enrollment patterns of high school graduates who earn a postsecondary credential while still in high school. The analysis shows that these students earning postsecondary awards demonstrate much higher college-going rates, reaching 81.7% in 2024 compared to 56.0% for the full cohort. The type of award matters, with those earning associate degrees showing the highest likelihood of continued postsecondary education. Note that this is a small but growing population, representing less than 1% of the total graduating cohort. An additional 108 students earned a postsecondary credential and did not continue enrollment in postsecondary. Importantly, these students have attained a postsecondary education and may be positioned to enter the workforce. College-going rates for students who participate in the Dual Enrollment Grant remain high. Further, the proportion of the class of 2024 enrolling at Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology and at the University of Tennessee universities increased compared to the previous class. The proportion at Tennessee Board of Regents community colleges declined slightly. Additionally, the class of 2024 has a decreased share of enrollments at in-state public and private institutions compared to the previous cohort. Students who enroll out-of-state tend to enroll at institutions in one of the many states bordering Tennessee. To provide broader context on how economic conditions shape students' postsecondary pathways, a labor market research brief is included in Appendix B. The statistical analysis suggests that as more jobs became available and pay improved between 2019-2021, some high school graduates chose to work instead of going to college. This change in the job market helps explain about 22% of the overall drop in college enrollment among Tennessee 12th graders, and 25% of the drop in students going to community or technical colleges. This analysis underscores the importance of accounting for labor market dynamics when interpreting changes in postsecondary enrollment trends. Finally, the report makes recommendations to continue to improve college-going rates. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED677582 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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