First-generation students account for 35% of all U.S. undergraduates. Their six-year graduation rate is 11 percentage points lower than their peers, even after accounting for demographics.
Key Takeaways
- 35% of U.S. undergraduates are first-generation students (neither parent has a bachelor's degree)
- 46% of first-generation students attend public colleges (2019–20)
- 23% of 24-year-olds who are first-generation (neither parent has a bachelor's degree) have completed a bachelor's degree or higher (2015–16)
- Pell Grant recipients are 3.6 times more likely to be first-generation than non-recipients (2019)
- First-generation students have a 31% lower probability of graduating than non-first-generation students in four-year colleges (meta-analytic estimate)
- The maximum Pell Grant award was $7,395 for award year 2023–24
- 28% of first-generation students worked 21+ hours per week (2019)
- First-generation students are 1.4x as likely to experience housing insecurity (2019 survey)
- Retention improvement of 6–10 percentage points associated with early-alert systems (research synthesis)
- Text-message interventions increased attendance by 3–8 percentage points in higher-education trials (meta-analysis)
- Mentoring programs increased graduation rates by 14% on average (education intervention meta-analysis)
- U.S. edtech investment reached $8.2 billion in 2022 (venture and corporate)
- The CRM for higher education market is forecast to reach $2.4 billion by 2030 (forecast report)
- The global student information system (SIS) market is projected to reach $5.1 billion by 2028 (forecast)
- 62% of first-generation bachelor’s degree entrants completed at least 1 credential (associate’s, bachelor’s, or higher) within 6 years (2018 cohort)
First generation students graduate and complete degrees at lower rates, but strong support and timely interventions can meaningfully improve outcomes.
Related reading
01 · Category
Enrollment Levels2 stats
01
35% of U.S. undergraduates are first-generation students (neither parent has a bachelor's degree)
02
46% of first-generation students attend public colleges (2019–20)
Interpretation
Enrollment Levels Interpretation
In the Enrollment Levels category, first-generation students make up 35% of U.S. undergraduates, and 46% of them attend public colleges, showing that public institutions enroll a particularly large share of this student group.
02 · Category
Completion Gaps6 stats
01
23% of 24-year-olds who are first-generation (neither parent has a bachelor's degree) have completed a bachelor's degree or higher (2015–16)
02
Pell Grant recipients are 3.6 times more likely to be first-generation than non-recipients (2019)
03
First-generation students have a 31% lower probability of graduating than non-first-generation students in four-year colleges (meta-analytic estimate)
04
In 2018, first-generation students had a 6-percentage-point lower 6-year graduation rate than continuing-generation students at U.S. colleges (institutional evidence, 2018)
05
First-generation students complete degrees at a lower rate, with 2019 evidence showing 11% lower completion after controlling for demographics
06
First-generation students are 10% less likely to take advanced courses in high school (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018)
Interpretation
Completion Gaps Interpretation
For the Completion Gaps category, first-generation students consistently lag behind their continuing-generation peers, such as having an 11% lower degree completion rate in 2019 and a 6-percentage-point lower 6-year graduation rate in 2018.
03 · Category
Affordability & Aid4 stats
01
The maximum Pell Grant award was $7,395for award year 2023–24
02
28% of first-generation students worked 21+ hours per week (2019)
03
First-generation students are 1.4x as likely to experience housing insecurity (2019 survey)
04
First-generation students are less likely to receive institutional aid: 41% receive merit aid vs 55% of non-first-gen students (2019 institutional data)
Interpretation
Affordability & Aid Interpretation
Under the Affordability and Aid lens, first-generation students face a real funding gap, including lower institutional support with 41% receiving merit aid compared with 55% of non-first-generation students and greater housing insecurity at 1.4 times, even though the maximum Pell Grant reached $7,395 in 2023–24.
04 · Category
Student Outcomes6 stats
01
Retention improvement of 6–10 percentage points associated with early-alert systems (research synthesis)
02
Text-message interventions increased attendance by 3–8 percentage points in higher-education trials (meta-analysis)
03
Mentoring programs increased graduation rates by 14% on average (education intervention meta-analysis)
04
Completion coaching increased degree completion by 10% over baseline in a quasi-experimental study (2020)
05
Career services utilization increased job placement by 8 percentage points in controlled studies (2019)
06
Peer-cohort support improved GPA by 0.15 points in an education study (2018)
Interpretation
Student Outcomes Interpretation
Across Student Outcomes, early and supportive interventions consistently improve results for first-generation students, with gains ranging from 3 to 10 percentage points in retention and attendance and up to a 14% average increase in graduation rates.
More related reading
05 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
U.S. edtech investment reached $8.2 billion in 2022 (venture and corporate)
02
The CRM for higher education market is forecast to reach $2.4 billion by 2030 (forecast report)
03
The global student information system (SIS) market is projected to reach $5.1 billion by 2028 (forecast)
04
Higher-ed digital learning is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15% through 2027 (market forecast)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends are accelerating for first generation student support as U.S. edtech investment hit $8.2 billion in 2022 and forecasts suggest rapid expansion in higher ed software and digital learning, including a 15% CAGR through 2027, which signals growing tools and systems that can help these learners persist and succeed.
06 · Category
Completion & Outcomes3 stats
01
62% of first-generation bachelor’s degree entrants completed at least 1 credential (associate’s, bachelor’s, or higher) within 6 years (2018 cohort)
02
1.7x higher odds of dropping out are observed for first-generation students compared with continuing-generation students in a large U.S. administrative dataset study (published 2020)
03
First-generation students have a 0.32 standard-deviation lower GPA than continuing-generation students after controlling for demographics (study published 2019)
Interpretation
Completion & Outcomes Interpretation
In the Completion and Outcomes category, first-generation bachelor’s entrants are less likely to persist, with 62% completing at least one credential within 6 years and studies showing they have 1.7 times higher dropout odds and a 0.32 standard-deviation lower GPA than continuing-generation students.
07 · Category
Student Experience & Support2 stats
01
Mentoring programs increased persistence by 8 percentage points on average in a higher-education intervention synthesis published 2020
02
Career services participation is associated with a 16% increase in internship attainment among first-generation students in a controlled study (published 2021)
Interpretation
Student Experience & Support Interpretation
Under Student Experience and Support, mentoring programs appear to strengthen first-generation students’ persistence by an average of 8 percentage points and career services participation aligns with a 16% increase in internship attainment.
report visual · Key figures
First-Generation Students: Enrollment, Completion, and Outcomes
First-generation students are less likely to complete degrees and have lower graduation outcomes than continuing-generation peers.
35%
35% of U.S. undergraduates are first-generation students (neither parent has a bachelor's degree)
23%
23% of 24-year-olds who are first-generation (neither parent has a bachelor's degree) have completed a bachelor's degree
31%
First-generation students have a 31% lower probability of graduating than non-first-generation students in four-year col
62%
62% of first-generation bachelor’s degree entrants completed at least 1 credential (associate’s, bachelor’s, or higher)
16%
Career services participation is associated with a 16% increase in internship attainment among first-generation students
source-verifiedhighereddive.com · pewresearch.org · psycnet.apa.org · ncai.org · journals.plos.org2021
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). First Generation Students Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/first-generation-students-statistics
MLA
Marcus Engström. "First Generation Students Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/first-generation-students-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Engström. 2026. "First Generation Students Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/first-generation-students-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+5 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)