Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Columbia Basin 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 Columbia Basin 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 Columbia Basin College
- Graduation Rates at Columbia Basin College
The First Year Retention Rates at Columbia Basin College Could Not Be Determined
We were not able to determine the freshman retention rate at Columbia Basin College .
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 69.0% . When looking at just colleges and universities in Washington , the average is 72.0% .
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, 38.4% of Columbia Basin College Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Columbia Basin College , there were 8,570 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2016 . By 2018 , six years after beginning their degree, 38.4% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 39.8% 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 60.2% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 5,158 students, 267 were still working towards their degree, 1,733 had transferred to a different institution, and Columbia Basin College lost contact with the remaining 3,157 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 Columbia Basin College Represent 15.5% of the Class of 2016 and 13.7% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of N/A , first-time students in the Columbia Basin College class of 2016 who attended classes full-time After six years, the graduation rate was 34.1% and by 2020 ,35.3% 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.
Columbia Basin College is Graduating Students Slower 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 Columbia Basin College , we expected that after six years about 42.6% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Columbia Basin College
64.7% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 859 students, 34 were still working towards their degree, 322 had transferred to a different institution, and Columbia Basin College lost contact with the remaining 503 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Columbia Basin College Represent 12.6% of the Class of 2016 and 7.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 20.5% , first-time students in the Columbia Basin 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 22.7% .
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 Columbia Basin College
77.3% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 832 students, 40 were still working towards their degree, 320 had transferred to a different institution, and Columbia Basin College lost contact with the remaining 472 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Columbia Basin College Represent 22.6% of the Class of 2016 and 32.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 55.4% , returning students in the Columbia Basin College class of 2016 who attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 56.4% .
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 Columbia Basin College
43.6% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 846 students, 34 were still working towards their degree, 311 had transferred to a different institution, and Columbia Basin College lost contact with the remaining 501 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Columbia Basin College Represent 49.3% of the Class of 2016 and 47.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 36.5% , returning students in the Columbia Basin College class of 2016 who attended classes part-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 38.0% .
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 Columbia Basin College
62.0% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2016 had not Completed Their Degree by 2020
Of these 2,620 students, 159 were still working towards their degree, 780 had transferred to a different institution, and Columbia Basin College lost contact with the remaining 1,681 whom we assume dropped out.