Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Berkeley City College's retention and graduation rates impact you. First year retention rates let you know how many students come back for their sophomore year. Graduation rates tell you how long it takes to complete a degree at Berkeley City College . Remember, every extra semester it takes to graduate will increase the cost of your degree.

On This Page You'll Find:
- What These Rates Have To Do With You
- First to Second Year Retention Rate at Berkeley City College
- Graduation Rates at Berkeley City College
Berkeley City College's Freshman Retention Rate is About Average
With 65.0% of students making it past their freshman year, Berkeley City College has freshman retention rates similar to the national average.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 69.0% . When looking at just colleges and universities in California , the average is 74.0% .
Berkeley City College Freshmen Retention Rate Rankings
Any Questions?
- When you attend a school that is high quality and a good fit for you, it is more likely you'll return for another year. Read more about why retention is so important.
- How many students make it past freshman year? You might be surprised at the answer.
Overall, 13.0% of Berkeley City College Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Berkeley City College , there were 9,826 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2015 . By 2017 , six years after beginning their degree, 13.0% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 14.9% of this class eventually completed their degree.
We consider the "on-time" graduation rate for a bachelor's degree to be four years, but colleges typically report their graduation rates after six or even eight years.
This implies that 85.1% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 8,367 students, 103 were still working towards their degree, 5,431 had transferred to a different institution, and Berkeley City College lost contact with the remaining 2,832 whom we assume dropped out.
Some Students Take More Time to Graduate
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years (on-time). Some schools cater mostly to traditional students while others cater to “non-traditional” students who may be attending part time and thus are likely to take longer to graduate.
Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.
First-Time / Full-time Students at Berkeley City College Represent 3.1% of the Class of 2015 and 6.2% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of N/A , first-time students in the Berkeley City College class of 2015 who attended classes full-time After six years, the graduation rate was 26.1% and by 2019 ,29.4% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 35.8% after four years, 46.4% after six years, and 47.8% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Berkeley City College
70.6% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 216 students, 2 were still working towards their degree, 96 had transferred to a different institution, and Berkeley City College lost contact with the remaining 118 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Berkeley City College Represent 9.1% of the Class of 2015 and 11.8% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 16.8% , first-time students in the Berkeley City College class of 2015 who attended classes part-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 19.4% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 21.6% after six years and 23.7% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at Berkeley City College
80.6% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 720 students, 7 were still working towards their degree, 359 had transferred to a different institution, and Berkeley City College lost contact with the remaining 354 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Berkeley City College Represent 10.2% of the Class of 2015 and 17.4% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 23.8% , returning students in the Berkeley City College class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were among the least likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 25.5% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 53.8% after six years and 55.1% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Full-time Graduation Rates at Berkeley City College
74.5% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 743 students, 13 were still working towards their degree, 435 had transferred to a different institution, and Berkeley City College lost contact with the remaining 295 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Berkeley City College Represent 77.6% of the Class of 2015 and 64.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 10.7% , returning students in the Berkeley City College class of 2015 who attended classes part-time were among the least likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 12.4% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.0% after six years and 37.8% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at Berkeley City College
87.6% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 6,687 students, 81 were still working towards their degree, 4,541 had transferred to a different institution, and Berkeley City College lost contact with the remaining 2,065 whom we assume dropped out.