Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how California State University - Northridge'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 California State University - Northridge . 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 California State University - Northridge
- Graduation Rates at California State University - Northridge
California State University - Northridge Has a Better Than Average Freshman Retention Rate
With 81.0% of students making it past their freshman year, California State University - Northridge has freshman retention rates above 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% .
California State University - Northridge 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, 64.2% of California State University - Northridge Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At California State University - Northridge , there were 11,607 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2015 . By 2017 , six years after beginning their degree, 64.2% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 67.5% 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 32.5% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 3,770 students, 147 were still working towards their degree, 2,121 had transferred to a different institution, and California State University - Northridge lost contact with the remaining 1,501 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 California State University - Northridge Represent 45.8% of the Class of 2015 and 38.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 13.0% , first-time students in the California State University - Northridge class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were among the least likely in the nation to graduate on time. After six years, the graduation rate was 51.1% and by 2019 ,56.9% 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.
California State University - Northridge is Graduating Students Faster Than we Expected
Studies have shown that high-achieving students are more likely to complete their degree on time. Given the academic preparedness of the first-time / full-time students accepted to California State University - Northridge , we expected that after six years about 42.1% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at California State University - Northridge
43.1% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 2,291 students, 118 were still working towards their degree, 1,338 had transferred to a different institution, and California State University - Northridge lost contact with the remaining 835 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at California State University - Northridge Represent 1.0% of the Class of 2015 and 0.5% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 21.9% , first-time students in the California State University - Northridge class of 2015 who attended classes part-time were more likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 32.5% .
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 California State University - Northridge
67.5% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 77 students, 2 were still working towards their degree, 46 had transferred to a different institution, and California State University - Northridge lost contact with the remaining 29 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at California State University - Northridge Represent 36.5% of the Class of 2015 and 44.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 80.9% , returning students in the California State University - Northridge class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 81.7% .
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 California State University - Northridge
18.3% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 777 students, 15 were still working towards their degree, 417 had transferred to a different institution, and California State University - Northridge lost contact with the remaining 345 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at California State University - Northridge Represent 16.7% of the Class of 2015 and 16.8% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 66.4% , returning students in the California State University - Northridge class of 2015 who attended classes part-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 67.9% .
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 California State University - Northridge
32.1% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 624 students, 12 were still working towards their degree, 320 had transferred to a different institution, and California State University - Northridge lost contact with the remaining 292 whom we assume dropped out.