by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding TSTC 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 50% students making it past their freshmen year, TSTC 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 Texas, the average is 68.17%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| TSTC | 50% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Texas | 68.17% |
There were approximately 1822 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 38% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 39% of the students had graduated and after eight years 39% 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 TSTC graduation rate 39%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1768 | 38% |
| Six Years | 1822 | 39% |
| Eight Years | 11 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 2825 | 61% |
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 2825 students or 61% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2825 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
1048 transferred to another institution.
TSTC lost contact with the remaining 1762 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 1048 | 37.1% |
| Dropped Out | 1762 | 62.4% |
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 TSTC are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Looking at the individual cohorts below may tell you more than the overall graduation rate alone.
First-time / full-time students at Texas State Technical College represent 38.84% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the TSTC graduation rate was 42%, 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 | TSTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 40% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 42% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 42% | 47.82% |
1054 first-time / full-time students or 58% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
320 transferred to another institution.
TSTC lost contact with the remaining 731 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 0.28% |
| Transferred | 320 | 30.36% |
| Dropped Out | 731 | 69.35% |
First-time / part-time students at Texas State Technical College represent 25.53% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the TSTC graduation rate was 24%, and by the eight year mark, 25% 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 | TSTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 23% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 24% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 25% | 23.72% |
893 first-time / part-time students or 75% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
311 transferred to another institution.
TSTC lost contact with the remaining 575 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 0.78% |
| Transferred | 311 | 34.83% |
| Dropped Out | 575 | 64.39% |
Returning / full-time students at Texas State Technical College represent 20.67% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the TSTC graduation rate was 55%, and by the eight year mark, 55% 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 | TSTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 55% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 55% | 55.07% |
435 non first-time / part-time students or 45% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
173 transferred to another institution.
TSTC lost contact with the remaining 259 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 0.69% |
| Transferred | 173 | 39.77% |
| Dropped Out | 259 | 59.54% |
Returning / part-time students at Texas State Technical College represent 14.96% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the TSTC graduation rate was 36%, and by the eight year mark, 36% 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 | TSTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 35% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 36% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 36% | 37.80% |
443 non first-time / part-time students or 64% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
244 transferred to another institution.
TSTC lost contact with the remaining 197 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 0.45% |
| Transferred | 244 | 55.08% |
| Dropped Out | 197 | 44.47% |
