by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many CCA first-year students return for their second year, and how many go on to graduate? Retention and graduation rates help you understand how students progress at CCA. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes and how long it takes.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 61% students making it past their freshmen year, CCA 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 Colorado, the average is 70.70%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| CCA | 61% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Colorado | 70.70% |
There were approximately 546 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 14% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 16% of the students had graduated and after eight years 17% 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 CCA graduation rate 16%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 449 | 14% |
| Six Years | 546 | 16% |
| Eight Years | 32 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 2744 | 83% |
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 2744 students or 83% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2744 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
1385 transferred to another institution.
CCA lost contact with the remaining 1341 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 1385 | 50.5% |
| Dropped Out | 1341 | 48.9% |
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 CCA are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.
First-time / full-time students at Community College of Aurora represent 11.18% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CCA graduation rate was 29%, and by the eight year mark, 30% 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 | CCA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 25% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 29% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 30% | 47.82% |
259 first-time / full-time students or 70% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
92 transferred to another institution.
CCA lost contact with the remaining 165 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 0.77% |
| Transferred | 92 | 35.52% |
| Dropped Out | 165 | 63.71% |
First-time / part-time students at Community College of Aurora represent 46.57% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CCA graduation rate was 10%, and by the eight year mark, 11% 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 | CCA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 7% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 10% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 11% | 23.72% |
1375 first-time / part-time students or 89% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
13 are still enrolled.
711 transferred to another institution.
CCA lost contact with the remaining 651 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 13 | 0.95% |
| Transferred | 711 | 51.71% |
| Dropped Out | 651 | 47.35% |
Returning / full-time students at Community College of Aurora represent 13.23% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CCA graduation rate was 37%, and by the eight year mark, 37% 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 | CCA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 37% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 37% | 55.07% |
277 non first-time / part-time students or 63% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
139 transferred to another institution.
CCA lost contact with the remaining 137 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.36% |
| Transferred | 139 | 50.18% |
| Dropped Out | 137 | 49.46% |
Returning / part-time students at Community College of Aurora represent 29.01% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CCA graduation rate was 13%, and by the eight year mark, 13% 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 | CCA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 10% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 13% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 13% | 37.80% |
833 non first-time / part-time students or 87% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
443 transferred to another institution.
CCA lost contact with the remaining 388 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 0.24% |
| Transferred | 443 | 53.18% |
| Dropped Out | 388 | 46.58% |
