> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • The Evolution of Race in Admissions
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
News
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

2-Year Colleges With the Best 3-Year Graduation Rates, 2016

Almanac 2018
August 19, 2018

The best completion rate among two-year colleges that confer predominantly associate degrees was at Oxford College of Emory University, a liberal-arts-focused, small-town campus where students earn associate degrees before going on to pursue bachelor’s degrees on Emory’s main campus. The second-best rate was at the for-profit Swedish Institute-College of Health Sciences, in New York, which offers associate degrees in massage therapy, nursing, and other health professions. Students at two-year public institutions were more likely than those enrolled at colleges in other sectors to stay enrolled at the first institution beyond the normal completion period. Students at for-profit colleges were the least likely to transfer out.

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

The best completion rate among two-year colleges that confer predominantly associate degrees was at Oxford College of Emory University, a liberal-arts-focused, small-town campus where students earn associate degrees before going on to pursue bachelor’s degrees on Emory’s main campus. The second-best rate was at the for-profit Swedish Institute-College of Health Sciences, in New York, which offers associate degrees in massage therapy, nursing, and other health professions. Students at two-year public institutions were more likely than those enrolled at colleges in other sectors to stay enrolled at the first institution beyond the normal completion period. Students at for-profit colleges were the least likely to transfer out.


Return to the Almanac home page, or go to the Profession, Students, Finance, or States section. To purchase a copy of the Almanac in print or as a downloadable interactive PDF, visit the Chronicle Store. Help guide us to give you the data you need by taking our 10-minute online Almanac survey.


Public institutions

RankInstitutionStudent
cohort
Completers
within 150
percent of
expected
time
Overall completion rateCompleted
less-than-
2-year
programs
Completed
2-year
programs
Transferred
out
Still
enrolled
No longer
enrolled
1. Lake Area Technical Institute 657 467 71.1% 19.2% 51.9% 6.1% 2.4% 20.4%
2. Mitchell Technical Institute 371 257 69.3% 21.0% 48.2% 5.1% 2.2% 23.5%
3. Frontier Community College 67 44 65.7% 23.9% 41.8% 19.4% 3.0% 11.9%
4. State Technical College of Missouri 485 314 64.7% 11.1% 53.6% 3.5% 0.4% 31.3%
5. De Anza College 2,510 1,537 61.2% 0.1% 61.2% 8.6% 8.7% 21.5%
6. Alexandria Technical and Community College 508 310 61.0% 8.7% 52.4% 13.6% 2.0% 23.4%
7. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology 402 244 60.7% 8.2% 52.5% - 1.7% 37.6%
8. Northwest Iowa Community College 226 129 57.1% 24.3% 32.7% 8.0% 2.2% 32.7%
9. Wabash Valley College 260 145 55.8% 5.8% 50.0% 19.2% 2.3% 22.7%
10. Lincoln Trail College 158 87 55.1% 9.5% 45.6% 28.5% 0.6% 15.8%
11. Carl Albert State College 608 330 54.3% 0.0% 54.3% 11.7% 7.6% 26.5%
12. Northeast Community College 749 397 53.0% 3.6% 49.4% 13.5% 6.1% 27.4%
13. Spoon River College 345 175 50.7% 3.5% 47.2% 16.8% 4.9% 27.5%
14. Rend Lake College 354 179 50.6% 9.3% 41.2% 18.6% 2.5% 28.2%
15. North Dakota State College of Science 743 374 50.3% 1.9% 48.5% 20.7% 1.1% 27.9%
16. Patrick Henry Community College 541 271 50.1% 4.8% 45.3% 7.8% 5.7% 36.4%
17. Olney Central College 216 106 49.1% 11.6% 37.5% 27.8% 1.4% 21.8%
18. Iowa Lakes Community College 410 195 47.6% 5.4% 42.2% - 2.2% 50.2%
19. Northwest Kansas Technical College 215 102 47.4% 17.7% 29.8% 20.0% 0.0% 32.6%
20. Lake Region State College 186 88 47.3% 3.2% 44.1% - 1.1% 51.6%
21. Bates Technical College 158 74 46.8% 18.4% 28.5% 10.8% 2.5% 39.9%
22. North Florida Community College 168 78 46.4% 14.3% 32.1% 11.3% 11.3% 31.0%
23. Lakeshore Technical College 220 102 46.4% 20.5% 25.9% 7.7% 8.2% 37.7%
24. Colby Community College 272 126 46.3% 4.4% 41.9% 21.7% 2.9% 29.0%
25. Arkansas State U. at Mountain Home 224 103 46.0% 17.4% 28.6% 30.4% 4.9% 18.8%
Over all for 762 institutions 598,294 138,806 23.2% 2.8% 20.4% 17.7% 14.7% 43.8%

Private nonprofit institutions

RankInstitutionStudent
cohort
Completers
within 150
percent of
expected
time
Overall completion rateCompleted
less-than-
2-year
programs
Completed
2-year
programs
Transferred
out
Still
enrolled
No longer
enrolled
1. Oxford College of Emory U. 498 459 92.2% 0.0% 92.2% - 0.4% 7.4%
2. Rosedale Technical Institute 111 91 82.0% 0.0% 82.0% - 4.5% 13.5%
3. Perry Technical Institute (Wash.) 313 253 80.8% 32.6% 48.2% - 0.6% 18.5%
4. Delaware College of Art and Design 87 62 71.3% 0.0% 71.3% - 2.3% 26.4%
5. Johnson College 151 107 70.9% 10.6% 60.3% - 0.7% 28.5%
6. American Academy of Dramatic Arts at New York 99 67 67.7% 0.0% 67.7% 32.3% 0.0% 0.0%
7. Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics 106 70 66.0% 0.0% 66.0% - 0.0% 34.0%
8. Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service 118 74 62.7% 0.0% 62.7% - 0.0% 37.3%
9. Wentworth Military Academy and Junior College 180 87 48.3% 0.0% 48.3% - 3.9% 47.8%
10. Spartanburg Methodist College 465 185 39.8% 0.0% 39.8% 41.9% 0.0% 18.3%
Over all for 20 institutions 4,496 2,071 46.1% 3.0% 43.0% 33.6% 3.5% 33.0%

For-profit institutions

RankInstitutionStudent
cohort
Completers
within 150
percent of
expected
time
Overall completion rateCompleted
less-than-
2-year
programs
Completed
2-year
programs
Transferred
out
Still
enrolled
No longer
enrolled
1. Swedish Institute-College of Health Sciences 136 124 91.2% 0.0% 91.2% 0.7% 0.0% 8.1%
2. Triangle Tech at Greensburg (Pa.) 81 70 86.4% 0.0% 86.4% - 0.0% 13.6%
3. Douglas Education Center 71 58 81.7% 18.3% 63.4% - 0.0% 18.3%
4. Wood Tobe-Coburn School 189 153 81.0% 14.8% 66.1% - 0.0% 19.0%
5. King’s College (N.C.) 210 169 80.5% 28.6% 51.9% - 0.0% 19.5%
6. Triangle Tech at DuBois (Pa.) 80 64 80.0% 0.0% 80.0% - 0.0% 20.0%
7. International Business College at Indianapolis 156 119 76.3% 10.9% 65.4% - 0.0% 23.7%
8. Bradford School (Pa.) 193 144 74.6% 9.3% 65.3% - 0.0% 25.4%
9. Antonelli Institute of Art and Photography 98 71 72.4% 0.0% 72.4% 3.1% 0.0% 24.5%
10. IBMC College 222 159 71.6% 16.7% 55.0% 1.8% 0.0% 26.6%
Over all for 74 institutions 18,366 9,152 49.8% 12.0% 37.8% 2.6% 2.3% 46.3%

Note: Only degree-granting U.S. two-year colleges eligible to participate in Title IV federal financial-aid programs, with at least 50 students in the degree-seeking cohort, are included. Institutions in which more than half of completing students finished programs of less than two years’ duration were excluded from the analysis and from the overall figures for each sector. Graduation rates reflect the percentage of first-time, full-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students who entered in 2013 and completed an associate degree or earned a certificate at the same institution within 150 percent of the normal time to completion for that program. Students pursuing two-year degrees, for example, counted as graduating if they had completed the program in three years (by August 31, 2016). Students who transferred and then graduated from another institution are not counted in the data as having graduated. Hyphens indicate no data were reported. Reporting of transfer rates was optional for some institutions. Nonreporting institutions were excluded from the calculation of the median transfer rate. Cohorts were adjusted to exclude students who died, were permanently disabled, or left to serve in the military or with a foreign-aid agency or an official church mission. Percentages are rounded, but ranks are ordered on the basis of unrounded figures. Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor.

Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data

ADVERTISEMENT

A version of this article appeared in the August 24, 2018, issue.
Read other items in this Students: Almanac 2018 package.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Teaching & LearningData
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin