Community Insights: Completion Rates

By Karina Lopez

In a recent Community Insights Report by Civitas Learning, completion rates of over 300,000 students from 53 two-year and four-year institutions were examined. Students in this study had completed over 75% of the credits needed to obtain their degrees and yet a significant number of them dropped out before graduating. The report suggested that while students are persisting well beyond their first year of college, students who are near completion are vulnerable to not completing their degree.

Findings included:

• The percentage of students who did not earn a degree was almost twice as high at 2-year institutions than 4-year institutions.
• When examining all institutions, nearly 1 in 5 students who do not graduate had completed 75% or more of the credits needed for their degree.
  • At 2-year institutions, 22% of students who did not graduate were at or over the 75% threshold to graduate.
  • At 4-year non-research institutions, only 9% of students who did not graduate were at that threshold; This rose to 13% when looking at 4-year research institutions.
  • In online programs, the percentage of students who did not graduate but had 75% of the credits needed to do so, was 15%.
  • Nearly 1 in 10 students who do not persist had completed 90% or more of the credits needed for their degree.
    • At 2-year institutions, 15% of students who did not graduate were at the 90% threshold to graduate.
    • At 4-year non-research institutions, 4% of students who did not graduate were at that threshold, A 4-year research institutions, 7% were at the threshold.
    • In online programs, the percentage of students who did not graduate but had 90% of the credits needed to do so, was 9%.
  • Notably, at the 14 Hispanic-serving institutions included in the report, there was a slightly higher percentage of students who didn’t graduate but had 75% or more of the credits required to do so (19%) than at non HSIs (17% average).