by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding SFCC 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.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 59% students making it past their freshmen year, SFCC 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 New Mexico, the average is 62.90%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| SFCC | 59% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| New Mexico | 62.90% |
How many of the estimated 427 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, 27% of the students had graduated and after eight years 28% 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 SFCC graduation rate 27%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 394 | 25% |
| Six Years | 427 | 27% |
| Eight Years | 18 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 1138 | 72% |
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 1138 students or 72% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1138 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
381 transferred to another institution.
SFCC lost contact with the remaining 730 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 381 | 33.5% |
| Dropped Out | 730 | 64.1% |
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 SFCC 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 Santa Fe Community College represent 26.22% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SFCC graduation rate was 29%, and by the eight year mark, 31% 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 | SFCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 27% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 29% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 31% | 47.82% |
288 first-time / full-time students or 69% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
90 transferred to another institution.
SFCC lost contact with the remaining 190 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 2.78% |
| Transferred | 90 | 31.25% |
| Dropped Out | 190 | 65.97% |
First-time / part-time students at Santa Fe Community College represent 22.87% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SFCC graduation rate was 25%, and by the eight year mark, 26% 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 | SFCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 23% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 25% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 26% | 23.72% |
269 first-time / part-time students or 74% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
51 transferred to another institution.
SFCC lost contact with the remaining 211 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 2.60% |
| Transferred | 51 | 18.96% |
| Dropped Out | 211 | 78.44% |
Returning / full-time students at Santa Fe Community College represent 12.19% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SFCC graduation rate was 39%, and by the eight year mark, 41% 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 | SFCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 39% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 41% | 55.07% |
114 non first-time / part-time students or 59% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
46 transferred to another institution.
SFCC lost contact with the remaining 65 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 2.63% |
| Transferred | 46 | 40.35% |
| Dropped Out | 65 | 57.02% |
Returning / part-time students at Santa Fe Community College represent 38.72% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the SFCC graduation rate was 23%, and by the eight year mark, 24% 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 | SFCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 20% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 23% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 24% | 37.80% |
467 non first-time / part-time students or 76% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
194 transferred to another institution.
SFCC lost contact with the remaining 264 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 1.93% |
| Transferred | 194 | 41.54% |
| Dropped Out | 264 | 56.53% |
