by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding COD 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 freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 66% students making it past their freshmen year, COD has freshmen retention rates below the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Illinois, the average is 72.64%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| COD | 66% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Illinois | 72.64% |
There were approximately 1766 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 22% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 24% of the students had graduated and after eight years 26% 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 COD graduation rate 24%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1568 | 22% |
| Six Years | 1766 | 24% |
| Eight Years | 86 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 5380 | 74% |
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 5380 students or 74% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 5380 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
3145 transferred to another institution.
COD lost contact with the remaining 2124 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 3145 | 58.5% |
| Dropped Out | 2124 | 39.5% |
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 COD are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at College of DuPage represent 33.24% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the COD graduation rate was 33%, and by the eight year mark, 35% 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 | COD | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 29% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 33% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 35% | 47.82% |
1567 first-time / full-time students or 65% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
47 are still enrolled.
876 transferred to another institution.
COD lost contact with the remaining 644 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 47 | 3.00% |
| Transferred | 876 | 55.90% |
| Dropped Out | 644 | 41.10% |
First-time / part-time students at College of DuPage represent 40.43% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the COD graduation rate was 12%, and by the eight year mark, 13% 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 | COD | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 10% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 12% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 13% | 23.72% |
2534 first-time / part-time students or 87% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
45 are still enrolled.
1495 transferred to another institution.
COD lost contact with the remaining 994 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 45 | 1.78% |
| Transferred | 1495 | 59.00% |
| Dropped Out | 994 | 39.23% |
Returning / full-time students at College of DuPage represent 7.92% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the COD graduation rate was 37%, and by the eight year mark, 38% 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 | COD | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 37% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 38% | 55.07% |
355 non first-time / part-time students or 62% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
229 transferred to another institution.
COD lost contact with the remaining 118 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 2.25% |
| Transferred | 229 | 64.51% |
| Dropped Out | 118 | 33.24% |
Returning / part-time students at College of DuPage represent 18.40% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the COD graduation rate was 30%, and by the eight year mark, 31% 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 | COD | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 28% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 30% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 31% | 37.80% |
924 non first-time / part-time students or 69% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
11 are still enrolled.
545 transferred to another institution.
COD lost contact with the remaining 368 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 11 | 1.19% |
| Transferred | 545 | 58.98% |
| Dropped Out | 368 | 39.83% |
