In this report, we use publicly available data to describe trends in postsecondary success for those students who graduate from a Missouri public high school and subsequently enroll as a first-time, full-time student at one of Missouri’s public postsecondary institutions of higher education. To measure success, we examine college enrollment trends, early college academic performance (remediation rates and college GPA), early college persistence, and eventual college completion for the Missouri high school graduation classes of 2010 through 2019. When possible, we compare trends in Missouri to national patterns and trends. We also examine trends over time within the state of Missouri, providing an in-depth examination of how these results vary by geographic region and high school characteristics, including school locale, racial composition, and income levels by highlighting outcomes for the class of 2015—the most recent cohort of postsecondary enrollees to exhibit 6-year completion rates.

In this report, we use publicly available data to describe patterns in college-intending behaviors and postsecondary access for Missouri high school students compared to national trends. We also examine trends within Missouri by looking at high schools serving unique student bodies, by locality, and by region. Finally, we examine results for the class of 2019, the most recent class to have successfully completed high school prior to COVID-19-induced disruptions.