by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding DMACC 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 63% students making it past their freshmen year, DMACC 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 Iowa, the average is 68.94%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| DMACC | 63% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Iowa | 68.94% |
Of the 1802 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 25% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 28% of the students had graduated and after eight years 29% 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 DMACC graduation rate 28%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1636 | 25% |
| Six Years | 1802 | 28% |
| Eight Years | 88 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 4595 | 71% |
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 4595 students or 71% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 4595 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
2394 transferred to another institution.
DMACC lost contact with the remaining 2122 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 2394 | 52.1% |
| Dropped Out | 2122 | 46.2% |
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 DMACC 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 Des Moines Area Community College represent 30.22% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the DMACC graduation rate was 40%, and by the eight year mark, 42% 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 | DMACC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 37% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 40% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 42% | 47.82% |
1142 first-time / full-time students or 58% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
34 are still enrolled.
369 transferred to another institution.
DMACC lost contact with the remaining 739 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 34 | 2.98% |
| Transferred | 369 | 32.31% |
| Dropped Out | 739 | 64.71% |
First-time / part-time students at Des Moines Area Community College represent 28.60% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the DMACC graduation rate was 18%, and by the eight year mark, 19% 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 | DMACC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 15% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 18% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 19% | 23.72% |
1495 first-time / part-time students or 81% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
33 are still enrolled.
478 transferred to another institution.
DMACC lost contact with the remaining 984 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 33 | 2.21% |
| Transferred | 478 | 31.97% |
| Dropped Out | 984 | 65.82% |
Returning / full-time students at Des Moines Area Community College represent 13.17% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the DMACC graduation rate was 54%, and by the eight year mark, 56% 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 | DMACC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 54% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 56% | 55.07% |
378 non first-time / part-time students or 44% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
219 transferred to another institution.
DMACC lost contact with the remaining 154 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 1.32% |
| Transferred | 219 | 57.94% |
| Dropped Out | 154 | 40.74% |
Returning / part-time students at Des Moines Area Community College represent 28.00% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the DMACC 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 30.46% after four years, 36.03% after six years, and 37.80% after eight years.
| Completions | DMACC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 11% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 12% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 13% | 37.80% |
1580 non first-time / part-time students or 87% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
1328 transferred to another institution.
DMACC lost contact with the remaining 245 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 0.44% |
| Transferred | 1328 | 84.05% |
| Dropped Out | 245 | 15.51% |
