College of the Desert Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

College of the Desert 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Make an informed decision about your education by understanding College of the Desert 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.

• 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

Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.

With 70% students making it past their freshmen year, College of the Desert has freshmen retention rates near 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

How many of the estimated 994 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?

Four years after beginning their degree, 25% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 29% of the students had graduated and after eight years 31% 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 College of the Desert graduation rate 29%.

College of the Desert Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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.

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College of the Desert Drop Out Rate

Approximately 2374 students or 69% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 2374 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 497 transferred to another institution.

• College of the Desert lost contact with the remaining 1804 who we assumed dropped out.

College of the Desert Graduation Rates by Race/EthnicityAt this time we lack graduation rate by race information for College of the Desert.

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

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 College of the Desert 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 College of the Desert Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at College of the Desert represent 34.93% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the College of the Desert graduation rate was 41%, and by the eight year mark, 43% 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.

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

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

683 first-time / full-time students or 57% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 27 are still enrolled.

• 103 transferred to another institution.

• College of the Desert lost contact with the remaining 553 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at College of the Desert represent 36.64% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the College of the Desert graduation rate was 20%, and by the eight year mark, 23% 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.

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

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

979 first-time / part-time students or 77% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 29 are still enrolled.

• 123 transferred to another institution.

• College of the Desert lost contact with the remaining 827 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

Returning / full-time students at College of the Desert represent 9.65% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the College of the Desert graduation rate was 39%, and by the eight year mark, 42% 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.

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

192 non first-time / part-time students or 58% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 4 are still enrolled.

• 86 transferred to another institution.

• College of the Desert lost contact with the remaining 102 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

Returning / part-time students at College of the Desert represent 18.78% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the College of the Desert graduation rate was 18%, and by the eight year mark, 20% 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.

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

520 non first-time / part-time students or 80% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 13 are still enrolled.

• 185 transferred to another institution.

• College of the Desert lost contact with the remaining 322 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