The number of first-time associate-degree earners (students with no prior college credential) has decreased from 2012-13 to 2018-19, due mainly to a drop among older students earning a two-year degree, according to figures from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center.
The number of first-time associate-degree earners dipped over the seven-year period from 806,721 to 770,484, though there was a 1.4 percent increase from 2017-18 to 2018-19, according to a new report from the center. Traditional college-age students (younger than 25) earning an associate degree as their first credential actually jumped up over the span, from 397,031 to 477,813, with significant increases each year. The biggest increase (3.9 percent) came between 2017-18 and 2018-19.
