The six-year completion rate for students who started college in fall 2017 held steady at 62.2% — essentially the same share of students who finished their programs in the previous two cohorts, according to new National Student Clearinghouse Center data. Completion rates for traditional college students — those ages 20 and younger — dipped to 63.8% compared to 64% the year prior. The completion rate for students over 24 years old reached 52%, though this still lagged the national average. The data also showed a widening gender gap, with 65.6% of women finishing their programs within six years, compared to 58.4% of men. That marks the biggest gender divide since the 2008 cohort.
