College of the Desert Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

College of the Desert 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Are students coming back to College of the Desert after their first year? Are College of the Desert students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.

• College of the Desert Retention Rate
• College of the Desert Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• College of the Desert Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

College of the Desert Retention Rate

The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.

With 68% students making it past their freshmen year, College of the Desert has freshmen retention rates similar to 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%.

College of the Desert Graduation Rates

Of the 3,401 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

33% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 32% in six years, and 35% in eight years.

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 College of the Desert graduation rate 32%.

College of the Desert Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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College of the Desert Drop Out Rate

Approximately 6952 students or 65% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 6952 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 2206 transferred to another institution.

• College of the Desert lost contact with the remaining 4344 who we assumed dropped out.

College of the Desert Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

First-time, full-time students, under the age of 25 are known as traditional students. These students are more likely to graduate in four years than so called 'non-traditional' students that includes part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. Some schools cater to non-traditional students and it may affect their overall graduation rates.

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.

The majority of students at College of the Desert are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

How does this school do graduating the type of student you are most concerned bout?

First-Time / Full-Time College of the Desert Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at College of the Desert represent 8% of the students in the class of 2015, and 9.85% of College of the Desert bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 33%, first-time students in the College of the Desert class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the College of the Desert graduation rate was 38%, and by the eight year mark, 40% of the cohort had completed their degree.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.

College of the Desert First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time College of the Desert Drop Out Rates

519 first-time / full-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 144 transferred to another institution.

• College of the Desert lost contact with the remaining 348 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at College of the Desert represent 11.92% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 22%, first-time, part-time students in the College of the Desert class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 25%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.

First-Time / Part-Time College of the Desert Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time College of the Desert Drop Out Rates

956 first-time / part-time students or 75% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 66 are still enrolled.

• 201 transferred to another institution.

• College of the Desert lost contact with the remaining 689 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

3077 College of the Desert students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 28.90% of the students in the class of 2015.

Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.

With a six year graduation rate of 44%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 47%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.

College of the Desert Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time College of the Desert Drop Out Rates

1632 non first-time / part-time students or 53% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 82 are still enrolled.

• 610 transferred to another institution.

• College of the Desert lost contact with the remaining 940 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

5431 College of the Desert students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 51.00% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 26%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 29%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.

College of the Desert Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time College of the Desert Drop Out Rates

3845 non first-time / part-time students or 71% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 227 are still enrolled.

• 1251 transferred to another institution.

• College of the Desert lost contact with the remaining 2367 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics