by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Cabrillo College retention and graduation rates. First year retention rates let you know how many first-time, full-time students students come back for their second year. Graduation rates tell you how many students complete their degree and how long it takes.
The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 73% students making it past their freshmen year, Cabrillo College has freshmen retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in California, the average is 73.07%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Cabrillo College | 73% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| California | 73.07% |
Of the 948 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 19% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 23% of the students had graduated and after eight years 25% of this class completed their degree.
Any student who completes their bachelor's degree within six years is considered to have graduated on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This makes the offical Cabrillo College graduation rate 23%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 793 | 19% |
| Six Years | 948 | 23% |
| Eight Years | 76 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 3109 | 75% |
The non-completers rate is anyone who is not still enrolled at the institution after eight years. Both transfer students and drop-outs could be included in this group.
Approximately 3109 students or 75% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 3109 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
1160 transferred to another institution.
Cabrillo College lost contact with the remaining 1875 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 1160 | 37.3% |
| Dropped Out | 1875 | 60.3% |
Traditional first-time, full-time students under 25 tend to graduate in four years far more often than other students. Some schools serve mostly traditional students while others serve more 'non-traditional' students — part-timers or those returning after time away — who commonly take longer to finish.
Traditional Students:
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.
Non-Traditional Students:
Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.
A meaningful share of students at Cabrillo College are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.
First-time / full-time students at Cabrillo College represent 27.87% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Cabrillo College graduation rate was 46%, and by the eight year mark, 48% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| Completions | Cabrillo College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 40% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 46% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 48% | 47.82% |
596 first-time / full-time students or 52% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
15 are still enrolled.
153 transferred to another institution.
Cabrillo College lost contact with the remaining 428 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 15 | 2.52% |
| Transferred | 153 | 25.67% |
| Dropped Out | 428 | 71.81% |
First-time / part-time students at Cabrillo College represent 23.88% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Cabrillo College graduation rate was 16%, and by the eight year mark, 18% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, and 23.72% after eight years.
| Completions | Cabrillo College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 11% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 16% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 18% | 23.72% |
808 first-time / part-time students or 82% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
40 are still enrolled.
128 transferred to another institution.
Cabrillo College lost contact with the remaining 640 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 40 | 4.95% |
| Transferred | 128 | 15.84% |
| Dropped Out | 640 | 79.21% |
Returning / full-time students at Cabrillo College represent 10.21% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Cabrillo College graduation rate was 34%, and by the eight year mark, 36% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Completions | Cabrillo College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 34% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 36% | 55.07% |
272 non first-time / part-time students or 64% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
163 transferred to another institution.
Cabrillo College lost contact with the remaining 108 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.37% |
| Transferred | 163 | 59.93% |
| Dropped Out | 108 | 39.71% |
Returning / part-time students at Cabrillo College represent 38.04% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Cabrillo College graduation rate was 8%, and by the eight year mark, 9% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 30.46% after four years, 36.03% after six years, and 37.80% after eight years.
| Completions | Cabrillo College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 6% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 8% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 9% | 37.80% |
1433 non first-time / part-time students or 91% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
18 are still enrolled.
716 transferred to another institution.
Cabrillo College lost contact with the remaining 699 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 18 | 1.26% |
| Transferred | 716 | 49.97% |
| Dropped Out | 699 | 48.78% |
