First-Time Credit Student Enrollment and Persistence

Rancho Santiago Community College District routinely monitors student retention and persistence as key indicators of student success and institutional effectiveness. This dashboard examines first-time credit students enrolled at Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College across five entering cohorts, from Fall 2020 through Fall 2024, and tracks the number of semesters students remained enrolled after their initial term. Persistence is measured cumulatively and does not require continuous enrollment, so students may have gaps between semesters. The analysis includes only enrollment at RSCCD colleges; students enrolled in both summer and fall are classified as fall entrants, while students enrolled exclusively in academies, apprenticeship programs, or noncredit coursework are excluded. The findings are intended to identify changes in persistence over time and inform strategies that strengthen early retention and continued enrollment.