by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Saddleback College 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 77% students making it past their freshmen year, Saddleback College has freshmen retention rates above 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%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Saddleback College | 77% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| California | 73.07% |
How many of the estimated 2327 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 24% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 27% 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 Saddleback College graduation rate 27%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 2040 | 24% |
| Six Years | 2327 | 27% |
| Eight Years | 109 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 6030 | 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 6030 students or 71% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 6030 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
2434 transferred to another institution.
Saddleback College lost contact with the remaining 3504 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 2434 | 40.4% |
| Dropped Out | 3504 | 58.1% |
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 Saddleback College 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 Saddleback College represent 21.51% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Saddleback College graduation rate was 52%, and by the eight year mark, 54% 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 | Saddleback College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 48% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 52% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 54% | 47.82% |
835 first-time / full-time students or 46% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
20 are still enrolled.
337 transferred to another institution.
Saddleback College lost contact with the remaining 478 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 20 | 2.40% |
| Transferred | 337 | 40.36% |
| Dropped Out | 478 | 57.25% |
First-time / part-time students at Saddleback College represent 26.73% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Saddleback College graduation rate was 26%, and by the eight year mark, 27% 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 | Saddleback College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 21% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 26% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 27% | 23.72% |
1648 first-time / part-time students or 73% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
38 are still enrolled.
343 transferred to another institution.
Saddleback College lost contact with the remaining 1267 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 38 | 2.31% |
| Transferred | 343 | 20.81% |
| Dropped Out | 1267 | 76.88% |
Returning / full-time students at Saddleback College represent 7.96% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Saddleback College graduation rate was 43%, and by the eight year mark, 44% 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 | Saddleback College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 43% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 44% | 55.07% |
378 non first-time / part-time students or 56% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
210 transferred to another institution.
Saddleback College lost contact with the remaining 166 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 0.53% |
| Transferred | 210 | 55.56% |
| Dropped Out | 166 | 43.92% |
Returning / part-time students at Saddleback College represent 43.80% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Saddleback College graduation rate was 14%, and by the eight year mark, 15% 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 | Saddleback College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 11% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 14% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 15% | 37.80% |
3169 non first-time / part-time students or 85% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
32 are still enrolled.
1544 transferred to another institution.
Saddleback College lost contact with the remaining 1593 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 32 | 1.01% |
| Transferred | 1544 | 48.72% |
| Dropped Out | 1593 | 50.27% |
