Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Chaffey 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 Chaffey 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 Chaffey College
- Graduation Rates at Chaffey College
Chaffey College's Freshman Retention Rate is About Average
With 72.0% of students making it past their freshman year, Chaffey 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% .
Chaffey 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, 30.3% of Chaffey College Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Chaffey College , there were 20,767 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2016 . By 2018 , six years after beginning their degree, 30.3% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 33.1% 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 67.0% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 13,905 students, 558 were still working towards their degree, 5,634 had transferred to a different institution, and Chaffey College lost contact with the remaining 7,712 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 Chaffey College Represent 4.4% of the Class of 2016 and 5.4% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of N/A , first-time students in the Chaffey College class of 2016 who attended classes full-time After six years, the graduation rate was 37.8% and by 2020 ,40.4% 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 Chaffey College
59.6% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 545 students, 22 were still working towards their degree, 196 had transferred to a different institution, and Chaffey College lost contact with the remaining 327 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Chaffey College Represent 12.1% of the Class of 2016 and 8.9% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 20.8% , first-time students in the Chaffey College class of 2016 who attended classes part-time were more likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 24.2% .
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 Chaffey College
75.8% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 1,905 students, 82 were still working towards their degree, 580 had transferred to a different institution, and Chaffey College lost contact with the remaining 1,243 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Chaffey College Represent 27.6% of the Class of 2016 and 37.3% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 42.2% , returning students in the Chaffey College class of 2016 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 44.6% .
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 Chaffey College
55.4% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 3,179 students, 117 were still working towards their degree, 1,484 had transferred to a different institution, and Chaffey College lost contact with the remaining 1,578 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Chaffey College Represent 55.9% of the Class of 2016 and 48.5% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 25.8% , returning students in the Chaffey College class of 2016 who attended classes part-time were less likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 28.7% .
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 Chaffey College
71.3% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 8,275 students, 337 were still working towards their degree, 3,374 had transferred to a different institution, and Chaffey College lost contact with the remaining 4,564 whom we assume dropped out.