Retention & Graduation Rates

Graduation Rates Overview

Each year Institutional Research in collaboartion with Enrollment Management collects information to determine retention and graduation rates. Graduation Rates as defined by IPEDS is a collection of data on the cohort of first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates and tracks them for 150% and 200% of the normal time of their program to see how many complete. This information is collected as part of the Student-Right-to-Know Act.

Retention rate is the percentage of a school’s first-time, first-year undergraduate students who continue at that school the next year. For example, a student who studies full-time in the fall semester and keeps on studying in the program in the next fall semester is counted in this rate.

Graduation Rate 200 is a further extension of the traditional Graduation Rate component. GR200 carries over 100% and 150% graduation rate data from previous cohorts and reports additional six-year completers and exclusions between 151% and 200% of normal time to completion.

Transfers is the percentage of a school’s first-time, first-year undergraduate students who transfer to another college within 150% of the published time for the program. For example, a student who is in a four-year degree program is counted as a transfer if the student goes to another college within six years.A school is required to report only on those students that the school knows have transferred to another school. A school must document that the student actually transferred. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you wish.

Data Reporting defines a student cohort as a student in the cohort that remains in the cohort, even if they switch to part-time or drop out. However, adjustments can be made to the initial cohort for exclusions, which include the death of a student, permanent disability, military deployment, or an official church mission.