ANALYSIS: Graduation Rates Fall at One-Third of 4-Year Colleges
SORTABLE TABLES: Graduation Rates Over Time, by Type of Institution:
Public Research | Private Research | Public Master’s | Private Master’s | Private Baccalaureate Arts & Sciences
We compare here the graduation rates at four-year colleges for the six years ending in 2008 with the rates for the six years ending in 2003. Because rates can spike up or down in a particular year, we also show a separate comparison that tends to reduce the effect of those outliers on differences in colleges’ rates over time. To make this comparison, we averaged each college’s rates in 2003 and 2008 with rates in the immediately preceeding years, then compared the averages. To further illustrate changes over time at each college, we show in boldface type any rate that increased over the one in the immediately preceeding year. Figures are rounded. About These Data
** Change in averaged graduation rates: the difference, in percentage points, of the average of the rates for 2001 and 2002 compared with the average of the rates for 2007 and 2008.
| Institution | Change in percentage points, 2003-8 | Change in averaged graduation rates** | Change in admissions selectivity | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
| San Diego State U | 17 | 18 | none | 38% | 44% | 46% | 53% | 58% | 56% | 61% |
| George Mason U | 12 | 11 | none | 49% | 49% | 53% | 53% | 56% | 58% | 61% |
| Georgia State U | 12 | 12 | less | 35% | 32% | 41% | 40% | 41% | 47% | 44% |
| Temple U | 12 | 12 | none | 47% | 54% | 54% | 57% | 59% | 59% | 65% |
| U of Pittsburgh main campus | 12 | 12 | more | 63% | 65% | 67% | 70% | 73% | 75% | 76% |
| U of Minnesota-Twin Cities | 11 | 10 | none | 54% | 54% | 56% | 61% | 61% | 63% | 66% |
| U of Maryland, College Park | 11 | 11 | less | 69% | 71% | 73% | 77% | 79% | 80% | 82% |
| Utah State U | 11 | 0 | n/a | 56% | 42% | 45% | 47% | 48% | 45% | 53% |
| Illinois State U | 11 | 9 | none | 57% | 59% | 62% | 63% | 64% | 65% | 70% |
| U of Louisville | 11 | 11 | less | 33% | 35% | 33% | 37% | 41% | 44% | 46% |
| Texas Woman’s U | 11 | 6 | none | 39% | 35% | 42% | 35% | 39% | 41% | 46% |
| Ohio State U | 11 | 12 | more | 59% | 62% | 62% | 68% | 71% | 71% | 73% |
| Ball State U | 11 | 11 | more | 47% | 49% | 52% | 54% | 57% | 58% | 59% |
| U of Louisiana, Lafayette | 11 | 11 | more | 30% | 30% | 32% | 39% | 40% | 41% | 40% |
| U of Central Florida | 9 | 9 | none | 50% | 54% | 55% | 57% | 58% | 59% | 63% |
| U of Arkansas, Fayetteville | 9 | 11 | more | 46% | 48% | 53% | 56% | 56% | 58% | 58% |
| Indiana U-Purdue U, Indianapolis | 9 | 10 | more | 21% | 23% | 22% | 26% | 27% | 31% | 32% |
| U of Massachusetts, Lowell | 8 | 4 | more | 44% | 42% | 46% | 46% | 46% | 44% | 51% |
| North Carolina State U | 8 | 7 | none | 64% | 63% | 67% | 71% | 70% | 70% | 72% |
| Georgia Southern U | 8 | 8 | none | 36% | 37% | 38% | 41% | 43% | 45% | 45% |
| U of California, Santa Barbara | 8 | 8 | none | 71% | 74% | 75% | 79% | 78% | 80% | 81% |
| U of Oklahoma, Norman | 8 | 8 | none | 53% | 52% | 55% | 55% | 57% | 61% | 60% |
| Georgia Inst of Tech | 8 | 9 | less | 68% | 69% | 72% | 76% | 77% | 78% | 77% |
| U of Missouri, St. Louis | 8 | 8 | none | 36% | 38% | 45% | 43% | 42% | 43% | 46% |
| Rutgers U, Newark | 8 | 8 | none | 49% | 51% | 54% | 58% | 57% | 57% | 59% |
| Clemson U | 7 | 7 | none | 72% | 72% | 72% | 75% | 75% | 78% | 79% |
| U of Texas, Austin | 7 | 7 | none | 71% | 71% | 74% | 75% | 77% | 78% | 78% |
| Virginia Commonwealth U | 7 | 7 | none | 39% | 42% | 40% | 43% | 45% | 47% | 49% |
| Washington State U | 7 | 4 | none | 62% | 60% | 60% | 63% | 60% | 63% | 67% |
| New Jersey Inst of Tech | 7 | 6 | more | 47% | 49% | 53% | 54% | 54% | 51% | 55% |
| Old Dominion U | 7 | 7 | more | 41% | 42% | 46% | 48% | 49% | 49% | 49% |
| Florida State U | 7 | 6 | more | 63% | 63% | 65% | 66% | 68% | 69% | 70% |
| U of North Texas | 7 | 6 | none | 38% | 39% | 40% | 43% | 45% | 44% | 45% |
| U of Georgia | 7 | 7 | less | 70% | 71% | 72% | 73% | 75% | 77% | 78% |
| U of Connecticut | 7 | 6 | none | 69% | 70% | 71% | 72% | 74% | 75% | 76% |
| U of Cincinnati main campus | 7 | 5 | less | 49% | 48% | 48% | 49% | 52% | 52% | 55% |
| U of Washington | 6 | 6 | none | 70% | 71% | 73% | 74% | 75% | 75% | 77% |
| U of California, Santa Cruz | 6 | 4 | none | 67% | 65% | 69% | 70% | 70% | 68% | 72% |
| Purdue U, West Lafayette | 6 | 6 | more | 64% | 66% | 64% | 66% | 70% | 69% | 72% |
| U of Oregon | 6 | 7 | none | 58% | 60% | 62% | 63% | 63% | 65% | 66% |
| Michigan State U | 6 | 6 | more | 69% | 69% | 71% | 74% | 74% | 74% | 75% |
| U of West Florida | 6 | 7 | none | 39% | 38% | 41% | 42% | 42% | 48% | 44% |
| Jackson State U | 6 | 3 | less | 35% | 37% | 40% | 38% | 35% | 36% | 43% |
| U of South Carolina, Columbia | 6 | 4 | more | 60% | 61% | 64% | 65% | 63% | 63% | 67% |
| U of Wisconsin, Madison | 6 | 5 | less | 75% | 76% | 76% | 77% | 78% | 79% | 81% |
| U of Delaware | 5 | 5 | none | 72% | 74% | 76% | 76% | 76% | 78% | 80% |
| U of Texas, El Paso | 5 | 5 | none | 25% | 26% | 27% | 28% | 29% | 29% | 31% |
| Central Michigan U | 5 | 7 | none | 47% | 52% | 55% | 55% | 57% | 57% | 57% |
| Texas A&M U, Kingsville | 5 | 5 | none | 26% | 22% | 27% | 28% | 32% | 30% | 27% |
| U of Massachusetts, Amherst | 5 | 6 | more | 61% | 64% | 62% | 66% | 66% | 67% | 69% |
| SUNY, Stony Brook | 5 | 5 | none | 54% | 56% | 58% | 59% | 59% | 59% | 61% |
| U at Buffalo | 5 | 6 | none | 54% | 57% | 60% | 59% | 61% | 61% | 62% |
| Wichita State U | 5 | 5 | more | 37% | 34% | 37% | 37% | 36% | 42% | 38% |
| U of Maryland-Baltimore County | 5 | 6 | none | 53% | 55% | 55% | 58% | 56% | 61% | 59% |
| U of Memphis | 5 | 3 | none | 34% | 33% | 36% | 33% | 34% | 34% | 38% |
| U of Florida | 5 | 5 | none | 77% | 77% | 78% | 79% | 79% | 81% | 82% |
| Indiana State U | 4 | 4 | none | 37% | 39% | 40% | 39% | 41% | 41% | 43% |
| Virginia Tech | 4 | 4 | less | 74% | 74% | 74% | 76% | 79% | 78% | 78% |
| U of Nebraska, Lincoln | 4 | 7 | none | 54% | 59% | 62% | 63% | 62% | 63% | 64% |
| U of California, Berkeley | 4 | 4 | more | 84% | 85% | 87% | 87% | 89% | 88% | 90% |
| Florida Atlantic U | 4 | 2 | none | 38% | 35% | 37% | 37% | 37% | 38% | 39% |
| Arizona State U, Tempe | 4 | 4 | less | 52% | 52% | 55% | 55% | 56% | 56% | 56% |
| U of Toledo main campus | 4 | 3 | none | 43% | 42% | 45% | 42% | 44% | 45% | 46% |
| Montana State U, Bozeman | 4 | 5 | none | 41% | 44% | 47% | 47% | 50% | 48% | 48% |
| Michigan Tech U | 4 | 1 | none | 64% | 61% | 63% | 59% | 61% | 64% | 65% |
| U of Alabama, Huntsville | 4 | 6 | less | 37% | 44% | 45% | 44% | 44% | 44% | 48% |
| Texas Tech U | 4 | 4 | none | 52% | 54% | 54% | 55% | 56% | 56% | 57% |
| East Tennessee State U | 4 | 4 | none | 34% | 38% | 38% | 39% | 40% | 38% | 42% |
| U of Idaho | 3 | 3 | none | 51% | 53% | 54% | 57% | 54% | 53% | 57% |
| Texas A&M U, College Station | 3 | 3 | none | 75% | 75% | 76% | 77% | 77% | 78% | 78% |
| U of Nevada, Las Vegas | 3 | 3 | more | 37% | 38% | 41% | 41% | 39% | 41% | 41% |
| U of Michigan, Ann Arbor | 3 | 3 | none | 84% | 85% | 87% | 86% | 87% | 88% | 88% |
| U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee | 3 | 2 | less | 40% | 39% | 37% | 42% | 43% | 41% | 42% |
| Wright State U, Dayton | 3 | 4 | none | 37% | 40% | 41% | 41% | 43% | 43% | 43% |
| Louisiana State U, Baton Rouge | 3 | 2 | more | 57% | 56% | 56% | 57% | 57% | 58% | 59% |
| U of Northern Colorado | 3 | 2 | none | 47% | 47% | 45% | 46% | 49% | 48% | 50% |
| U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | 3 | 3 | none | 80% | 83% | 81% | 84% | 84% | 83% | 86% |
| U of Arkansas, Little Rock | 3 | 0 | less | 22% | 18% | 26% | 21% | 24% | 19% | 21% |
| U of Illinois, Chicago | 3 | 4 | more | 44% | 46% | 45% | 50% | 51% | 50% | 48% |
| U of Alaska, Fairbanks | 3 | -2 | less | 37% | 24% | 25% | 22% | 29% | 31% | 27% |
| Wayne State U | 3 | 1 | none | 34% | 31% | 32% | 33% | 36% | 32% | 34% |
| U of Missouri, Columbia | 3 | 2 | more | 65% | 66% | 68% | 66% | 69% | 67% | 69% |
| U of California, Los Angeles | 3 | 4 | more | 85% | 87% | 87% | 87% | 89% | 90% | 89% |
| U of Arizona | 2 | 2 | less | 55% | 55% | 57% | 59% | 56% | 56% | 57% |
| Mississippi State U | 2 | 2 | less | 56% | 57% | 58% | 56% | 58% | 58% | 60% |
| Rutgers U, New Brunswick | 2 | 2 | n/a | 72% | 72% | 71% | 71% | 73% | 73% | 75% |
| U of California, Irvine | 2 | 3 | less | 76% | 79% | 80% | 80% | 79% | 80% | 81% |
| Colorado Sch of Mines | 2 | 5 | none | 59% | 66% | 67% | 67% | 68% | 67% | 68% |
| U of California, San Diego | 2 | 3 | more | 81% | 83% | 83% | 85% | 86% | 84% | 85% |
| U of North Carolina, Greensboro | 2 | 2 | none | 48% | 50% | 50% | 51% | 52% | 50% | 53% |
| Penn State, U Park | 2 | 3 | less | 80% | 82% | 83% | 84% | 85% | 84% | 85% |
| U of New Mexico, Albuquerque | 2 | 1 | none | 44% | 42% | 40% | 41% | 42% | 44% | 44% |
| U of Texas, Dallas | 2 | 3 | none | 52% | 57% | 56% | 56% | 55% | 55% | 59% |
| U of Rhode Island | 2 | 1 | none | 58% | 56% | 57% | 56% | 57% | 58% | 58% |
| SUNY C of Environmental Science and Forestry | 2 | -1 | less | 71% | 69% | 65% | 63% | 62% | 66% | 71% |
| Southern Illinois U, Carbondale | 2 | 5 | none | 39% | 43% | 43% | 41% | 42% | 46% | 45% |
| U of Alabama, Tuscaloosa | 2 | 2 | more | 63% | 62% | 61% | 63% | 63% | 65% | 64% |
| Kansas State U | 2 | 2 | more | 55% | 56% | 63% | 56% | 59% | 58% | 58% |
| U of Kansas | 2 | 2 | more | 57% | 58% | 57% | 59% | 59% | 60% | 60% |
| Iowa State U | 2 | 1 | more | 65% | 66% | 66% | 68% | 66% | 66% | 67% |
| U of Houston main campus | 2 | 4 | none | 37% | 40% | 39% | 40% | 42% | 43% | 42% |
| U of North Carolina, Charlotte | 2 | 3 | none | 46% | 49% | 47% | 49% | 50% | 51% | 51% |
| Florida International U | 1 | 3 | more | 44% | 47% | 47% | 48% | 48% | 49% | 49% |
| Oklahoma State U, Stillwater | 1 | 2 | none | 55% | 58% | 58% | 59% | 59% | 58% | 60% |
| Oregon State U | 1 | 2 | more | 59% | 61% | 60% | 61% | 60% | 61% | 62% |
| U of Vermont | 1 | 2 | none | 70% | 70% | 67% | 65% | 67% | 72% | 71% |
| U of Alabama, Birmingham | 1 | 1 | none | 38% | 39% | 38% | 36% | 36% | 38% | 40% |
| Indiana U, Bloomington | 1 | 2 | none | 69% | 72% | 71% | 72% | 72% | 72% | 73% |
| U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign | 1 | 2 | none | 80% | 81% | 80% | 83% | 82% | 82% | 82% |
| U of Virginia | 1 | 1 | less | 92% | 92% | 92% | 93% | 92% | 93% | 93% |
| Colorado State U, Fort Collins | 1 | 0 | less | 63% | 62% | 64% | 63% | 64% | 62% | 63% |
| Missouri U of Science and Tech | 1 | 3 | less | 55% | 60% | 64% | 64% | 63% | 61% | 61% |
| U of Tennessee, Knoxville | 1 | 0 | none | 58% | 59% | 59% | 57% | 60% | 58% | 60% |
| C of William and Mary | 1 | 1 | none | 91% | 90% | 89% | 91% | 91% | 91% | 91% |
| Northern Arizona U | 1 | 2 | none | 46% | 52% | 50% | 48% | 47% | 48% | 53% |
| East Carolina U | 1 | 0 | none | 54% | 54% | 53% | 54% | 56% | 54% | 54% |
| Portland State U | 0 | 1 | none | 33% | 33% | 34% | 35% | 37% | 35% | 34% |
| Miami U, Oxford | 0 | 0 | less | 81% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 81% | 80% | 81% |
| U of North Dakota | 0 | 2 | more | 49% | 54% | 54% | 56% | 53% | 54% | 54% |
| U of New Hampshire, Durham | 0 | 1 | none | 72% | 73% | 72% | 73% | 74% | 74% | 73% |
| Indiana U of Pa | 0 | 1 | none | 49% | 51% | 50% | 47% | 49% | 51% | 51% |
| U of California, Davis | 0 | 1 | none | 78% | 81% | 81% | 80% | 81% | 79% | 81% |
| Texas A&M U, Commerce | 0 | 2 | none | 34% | 36% | 38% | 34% | 35% | 38% | 36% |
| U of Nevada, Reno | 0 | 0 | none | 47% | 48% | 49% | 52% | 49% | 46% | 48% |
| Kent State U main campus | 0 | 2 | more | 46% | 49% | 49% | 46% | 47% | 51% | 49% |
| U of California, Riverside | 0 | 0 | none | 66% | 64% | 64% | 65% | 64% | 66% | 64% |
| New Mexico State U, Las Cruces | 0 | -1 | none | 46% | 43% | 43% | 42% | 37% | 45% | 43% |
| U of Utah | 0 | 4 | none | 49% | 51% | 48% | 43% | 46% | 56% | 51% |
| Oakland U | 0 | 2 | none | 41% | 44% | 47% | 45% | 44% | 44% | 44% |
| U of Mississippi | 0 | -2 | none | 57% | 56% | 54% | 56% | 56% | 53% | 56% |
| U of Texas, Arlington | 0 | 0 | none | 36% | 37% | 38% | 40% | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| Ohio U, Athens | -1 | 0 | less | 70% | 70% | 70% | 71% | 71% | 70% | 70% |
| West Virginia U, Morgantown | -1 | -1 | none | 56% | 56% | 54% | 54% | 55% | 55% | 56% |
| U of Maine, Orono | -1 | 2 | none | 54% | 60% | 56% | 53% | 59% | 59% | 59% |
| Cleveland State U | -1 | 3 | none | 24% | 27% | 27% | 30% | 31% | 31% | 26% |
| South Dakota State U | -1 | -1 | more | 55% | 53% | 55% | 54% | 54% | 54% | 53% |
| U of Massachusetts, Boston | -1 | -1 | none | 35% | 34% | 28% | 35% | 36% | 33% | 33% |
| Western Michigan U | -1 | 0 | none | 53% | 56% | 55% | 54% | 54% | 54% | 55% |
| U of South Florida | -1 | 1 | less | 46% | 49% | 47% | 48% | 49% | 49% | 48% |
| U of Colorado, Boulder | -1 | 0 | none | 67% | 68% | 66% | 66% | 66% | 67% | 67% |
| U of New Orleans | -1 | 0 | none | 22% | 24% | 25% | 24% | 25% | 24% | 22% |
| Northern Illinois U | -2 | 0 | none | 51% | 53% | 51% | 53% | 48% | 52% | 51% |
| Binghamton U | -2 | -2 | none | 79% | 80% | 78% | 77% | 78% | 77% | 78% |
| SUNY, Albany | -2 | 0 | none | 62% | 66% | 63% | 62% | 63% | 64% | 64% |
| University of Colorado Denver (Health Sciences Program) | -2 | -4 | none | 44% | 39% | 39% | 42% | 36% | 39% | 37% |
| U of Colorado, Denver and Health Sciences Ctr | -2 | -4 | none | 44% | 39% | 39% | 42% | 36% | 39% | 37% |
| U of Southern Mississippi | -3 | -3 | less | 51% | 46% | 48% | 46% | 46% | 48% | 43% |
| U of South Dakota | -3 | 0 | more | 43% | 50% | 43% | 46% | 49% | 47% | 46% |
| U of Hawaii-Manoa | -3 | -1 | none | 53% | 54% | 56% | 51% | 51% | 55% | 51% |
| U of Kentucky | -3 | 0 | none | 58% | 61% | 60% | 60% | 59% | 61% | 58% |
| Auburn U main campus | -3 | -4 | none | 68% | 68% | 65% | 62% | 63% | 63% | 64% |
| South Carolina State U | -4 | -5 | none | 51% | 49% | 53% | 47% | 54% | 45% | 45% |
| Florida A&M U | -4 | -4 | none | 43% | 45% | 46% | 45% | 42% | 39% | 41% |
| U of Wyoming | -4 | -1 | less | 54% | 57% | 56% | 58% | 56% | 57% | 53% |
| Louisiana Tech U | -5 | -6 | more | 55% | 52% | 51% | 49% | 49% | 48% | 48% |
| U of Montana, Missoula | -5 | -4 | none | 43% | 45% | 44% | 44% | 42% | 41% | 40% |
| U of Missouri, Kansas City | -6 | -4 | none | 45% | 41% | 44% | 46% | 45% | 43% | 35% |
| Idaho State U | 9 | 4 | none | 21% | 22% | 21% | 21% | 27% | 20% | 32% |
| North Dakota State U | -6 | -4 | more | 48% | 53% | 52% | 55% | 51% | 47% | 47% |
| North Carolina A&T State U | -6 | -3 | less | 40% | 44% | 43% | 40% | 38% | 41% | 38% |
| U of Akron main campus | -7 | -5 | none | 36% | 40% | 35% | 35% | 37% | 34% | 33% |
| Bowling Green State U main campus | -7 | -5 | none | 60% | 65% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 57% | 58% |
| Morgan State U | -7 | -4 | less | 38% | 39% | 39% | 42% | 40% | 38% | 32% |
| Tennessee State U | -9 | -8 | more | 47% | 45% | 44% | 44% | 40% | 40% | 36% |
The entry for Idaho State University was updated on December 20, 2010, to include revised data submitted by the university to the U.S. Education Department.
About These Data
The Chronicle analyzed changes in graduation rates reported by more than 1,000, four-year public and private nonprofit colleges and universities. We examined only institutions classified as research, master’s, or Baccalaureate Colleges—Arts & Sciences by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2005.
These rates, which colleges report annually to the U.S. Education Department, are calculated as the percentage of all first-time, full-time students entering in the fall seeking bachelor’s degrees who completed bachelor’s degrees within six years. At some institutions, this definition excludes a significant number of students, for example, those enrolled part time.
The column labels showing a single year -- 2002 through 2008 -- refer to the final year of six-year periods. The six-year period ending in 2008 was the most recent for which comprehensive data were available from the Education Department when The Chronicle published these tables. The six-year period ending in 2002 was the first for which all colleges participating in federal-aid programs were required to report the data to the Education Department. Figures are rounded.
In these tables, we compare rates for the six years ending in 2008 against rates from five years earlier, in 2003.
A college’s graduation rate sometimes spikes up or down in a particular year. To account for such fluctuations, The Chronicle also averaged the graduation rates for 2002 and 2003 and compared those sums with the averages of the 2007 and 2008 rates. That approach yielded results similar to those shown when only 2003 and 2008 were compared.
Colleges typically describe their graduation rates using a similar but slightly different set of data, which includes students who completed any degree program, such as associate degrees. The Education Department recommends examining only students seeking bachelor’s degrees when comparing four-year institutions because it facilitates consistent comparisons and because producing bachelor’s recipients is a core mission of those institutions.
The Chronicle’s analysis recognizes that a college’s graduation rate may rise if its admissions become more selective. Greater selectivity typically brings more academically prepared students, who in turn are more likely to complete degrees within six years. Conversely, graduation rates can slip when institutions become less selective. We labeled institutions that became more or less selective during the period covered by these graduation rates. The source was Barron’s Profile of American Colleges, which assigns colleges among seven tiers of selectivity. We recorded whether a college changed tiers from 1996-7 to 2001-2.
Other changes in student demographics could also have increased how each institution’s rate changed over time, and this analysis did not further account for those effects.