Supporting New Jersey residents in returning to college after leaving without a credential has been a recent focus of the state’s efforts. A report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center provides updated insights into individuals with some college but no credential in New Jersey and nationwide during the 2023-2024 academic year.
In New Jersey, the “some college, no credential” (SCNC) population totaled around 840,500 students, ranking the state 12th among all states and Washington, DC. California reported the highest number of SCNC individuals at over 7 million, while Vermont and Washington, DC had the smallest populations.
During this period, over 757,000 working-age individuals in New Jersey were part of the SCNC population, marking a 1.9% increase from the previous year. These individuals accounted for 2% of the national SCNC population under age 65.
Among New Jersey’s SCNC population under age 65, 4.8% were students who had recently left their education between January 2022 and July 2023. Additionally, about 60,000 individuals—7.9% of this group—had completed at least two years of full-time equivalent enrollment in the past decade.
Approximately 17,400 SCNC individuals who last enrolled in New Jersey re-enrolled in postsecondary institutions nationwide during this academic year. This resulted in a re-enrollment rate of 2.3%. Of those who re-enrolled within New Jersey, 4.4% earned their first credential that same year.
Re-enrollment rates varied by race/ethnicity; Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (5.9%) SCNC individuals showed higher rates than White (4.5%) and Asian (5.1%) students. However, credential attainment was higher among White and Asian students: first credential rates were recorded at 5.8% for White and 5.6% for Asian students compared to lower percentages for Black and Hispanic students.
These disparities reflect national patterns as detailed by Angie Nga Le from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
