Record fall-to-spring retention rates signal value of student success support across campus
A record percentage of first-year students who started classes at CU Boulder in fall 2024 chose to extend their academic studies into the 2025 spring semester, according to new retention data from the spring 2025 student census.
Of the cohort of 7,359 students who began their first year at CU Boulder in fall 2024, 97% continued into spring 2025, an increase over the 96.4% retention rate recorded last spring for first-year students who started in fall 2023.
“Ensuring students continue past their first semester at CU Boulder is a critical first step toward getting them all the way to graduation,” said CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “This past fall, our campus doubled down on multidisciplinary efforts—both academic and administrative—to close gaps that were impeding students from continuing their studies. I am grateful to the many staff and faculty members who contributed to our concerted efforts to help all of our students thrive.”
During a CU Board of Regents meeting on Thursday, Schwartz shared the milestone and other highlights from the spring 2025 census with the regents.
Included among the highlights from the spring 2025 census data is record fall-to-spring retention among first-year Black/African American students at 96.9%—nearly the same rate as the first-year student cohort overall. CU Boulder enrolled its largest class of first-year Black/African American students in university history in fall 2024.
Amy Hutton, vice chancellor for enrollment management, said campus efforts since fall have included ongoing student success initiatives and tactics such as helping students set up financial plans to support their education goals. Employees from various campus units also touched base with students who had not yet registered for the spring semester or were uncertain about their decision to pursue a college degree in the first place.
“Staff reached out to students who were not registered for classes and said, ‘What do you need? How can we help?” Hutton said. “There were a number of outreach points that probably played into some of the gains we are seeing.”
While the campus experienced gains across several student groups, Hutton acknowledged the data also signal opportunities to provide greater support to first-generation students and other student groups.