This report provides insights into the challenges and factors affecting first-year students' motivation and success as they enter college, including the significant mental toll from the pandemic and economic uncertainty. The findings in this report are taken from data collected in 2022 from nearly 80,000 student records of first- and second-year…

This publication summarises the outcomes of apprentices and trainees who completed (completers) or cancelled or withdrew (non-completers) from an apprenticeship or traineeship. The figures are derived from the 2008, 2010 and 2019 Apprentice and Trainee Experience and Destination Surveys. Information is presented on apprentices' and trainees'…

In 2017, the government launched Career Learning Pilots in order to test the design and provision of various training approaches for working adults with low to intermediate skills. As part of this initiative, the Department for Education provided approximately £11.3 million in funding to pilot projects that offered flexible and accessible ways of…

This report captures motivational data from students at the end of 2020--students who were in the thick of the pandemic and the pivot to online and hybrid learning, along with historic levels of social and economic upheaval. Starting strong is crucial to student retention. When entering students get off to a strong start, they are more likely to…

Youth whose First Language is Not English (FLNE)--an umbrella term that includes English Learners (ELs), youth who have reached English proficiency, and other nonnative English speakers who have never been enrolled in a formal EL program (see Figure 1)--represent the fastest growing segment of the United States public school population. Despite…

As they start college, the vast majority of incoming freshmen exude a strong desire to complete a degree, but many also express early concerns and attitudes that reduce their motivation and put them at risk for attrition. This report looks beyond standardized test scores and high school transcripts to explore a wide range of these noncognitive,…

Researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill teamed up with UnidosUS to explore whether and how our debt-driven higher education system makes it difficult for students to finish a college program or degree. The quantitative research, gathered from more than 1,500 respondents from across the country, offers insight into the primary…

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines what students know in reading, mathematics and science, and what they can do with what they know. It provides the most comprehensive and rigorous international assessment of student learning outcomes to date. Results from PISA indicate the quality and equity of learning…

Ten years ago when Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) published its annual study of freshman motivations, those students were entering college in the shadow of the worst recession since the Great Depression. That report, which examined attitudes of students from 2009, provided insight into their motivations, attitudes, and needs in the midst of a very…

In response to the growing call to increase college completion rates, many campus officials have turned their attention to the "sophomore slump"--a term that broadly defines the somewhat-common and lackluster performance of a substantial portion of second-year college students. To examine this issue, this report looks beyond test scores…

As entering students begin their college careers, they have been exposed to many mixed messages about whether college is "worth it"--from the media and public figures, to parents, to peers. There have also been significant changes in demographics, economics, college preparedness, and other key areas that may be influencing how freshmen…

The "2018 National Freshman Motivation to Complete College Report" examines the noncognitive motivations of college freshmen at the beginning of their first year and as they progress throughout that year. This report provides key insights into how freshmen are gauging their potential to graduate, what barriers (financial, academic,…

This annual report from Ruffalo Noel Levitz goes beyond the usual metrics of standardized test scores and high school transcripts to explore a wide range of non-cognitive attitudes and motivations that influence student retention and college completion rates. The report is based on student survey responses drawn from a sizable sample of incoming…

This report examines three focal points for understanding incoming first-year students' motivation to complete college: (1) academic motivational barriers and opportunities; (2) social motivational barriers and opportunities; and (3) financial motivational barriers and opportunities. [For "2016 National Freshman Motivation to Complete College…

This inaugural report describes the self-reported attitudes and motivations of students nationally during the first term of their second year of college. Based on a 78-item motivational assessment administered to students in the 2010 fall term, the report highlights the educational experiences of second-year students as they transition from their…