by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding UH Downtown 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 percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 67% students making it past their freshmen year, UH Downtown 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 | |
|---|---|
| UH Downtown | 67% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Texas | 68.17% |
There were approximately 2294 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 43% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 53% of the students had graduated and after eight years 56% 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 UH Downtown graduation rate 53%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1836 | 43% |
| Six Years | 2294 | 53% |
| Eight Years | 136 | 3% |
| Did Not Complete | 1884 | 44% |
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 1884 students or 44% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1884 students who did not complete their degree?
30 are still enrolled.
884 transferred to another institution.
UH Downtown lost contact with the remaining 922 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 30 | 1.6% |
| Transferred | 884 | 46.9% |
| Dropped Out | 922 | 48.9% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 25% |
| Black / African-American | 26% |
| Hispanic | 36% |
| International | 50% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 29% |
| Unknown | 50% |
| White | 30% |
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 UH Downtown 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 University of Houston-Downtown represent 20.14% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the UH Downtown graduation rate was 31%, and by the eight year mark, 36% 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 | UH Downtown | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 13% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 31% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 36% | 47.82% |
553 first-time / full-time students or 64% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
31 are still enrolled.
310 transferred to another institution.
UH Downtown lost contact with the remaining 212 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 31 | 5.61% |
| Transferred | 310 | 56.06% |
| Dropped Out | 212 | 38.34% |
First-time / part-time students at University of Houston-Downtown represent 2.80% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the UH Downtown graduation rate was 16%, and by the eight year mark, 20% 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 | UH Downtown | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 2% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 16% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 20% | 23.72% |
97 first-time / part-time students or 80% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
46 transferred to another institution.
UH Downtown lost contact with the remaining 50 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.03% |
| Transferred | 46 | 47.42% |
| Dropped Out | 50 | 51.55% |
Returning / full-time students at University of Houston-Downtown represent 31.92% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the UH Downtown graduation rate was 68%, and by the eight year mark, 69% 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 | UH Downtown | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 68% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 69% | 55.07% |
430 non first-time / part-time students or 31% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
191 transferred to another institution.
UH Downtown lost contact with the remaining 230 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 2.09% |
| Transferred | 191 | 44.42% |
| Dropped Out | 230 | 53.49% |
Returning / part-time students at University of Houston-Downtown represent 45.13% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the UH Downtown graduation rate was 55%, and by the eight year mark, 59% 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 | UH Downtown | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 44% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 55% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 59% | 37.80% |
804 non first-time / part-time students or 41% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
37 are still enrolled.
337 transferred to another institution.
UH Downtown lost contact with the remaining 430 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 37 | 4.60% |
| Transferred | 337 | 41.92% |
| Dropped Out | 430 | 53.48% |
