This report captures motivational data from students at the end of 2020--students who were in the thick of the pandemic and the pivot to online and hybrid learning, along with historic levels of social and economic upheaval. Starting strong is crucial to student retention. When entering students get off to a strong start, they are more likely to persist through the first and second years and then continue to complete their degrees. This "2021 First-Year Student Motivations Report" provides insights into how campuses can do that. This study uses data from 85,900 students who completed the Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) College Student Inventory™ (CSI Form B), a college completion risk survey and self-assessment administered during orientation or in the first weeks of classes. This report can provide key insights such as: (1) What are the priorities and needs of first-year students? (2) How should your institution align resources with the needs of your first- and second-year students? (3) How do student motivations and needs differ across different student populations? and (4) How can you best serve the growing group of adult undergraduate learners? [For "2020 National Freshman Motivation to Complete College Report," see ED606643.]