Completing College: Eight Year Completion Outcomes —Fall 2010 Cohort

By MacGregor Obergfell

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center recently released a supplement to their 2016 Signature Report on College Completions, which focused on six-year outcomes for the 2010 cohort of first time college attendees. The supplement updated this report and examined the changes in completion rates of the 2010 cohort between the 2016 initial report and 2018.

Among the findings:

• The completion rate for the 2010 cohort was 54.8% in 2016 and increased to 60.4% in 2018 (six-year vs eight-year graduation rate).
• In 2016, 13.3% of the cohort was still enrolled in postsecondary education after six years of enrollment, a figure that decreased to 6.5% in 2018.
• The completion rate for students who started at public institutions in 2010 had an increased between 2016 and 2018 (six vs. eight-year graduation rate).
  • The completion rates for students who initially enrolled in a public four-year institution increased from 62.4% in 2016 to 68.8% in 2018.
  • The completion rate for students who initially enrolled in a public two-year institution increased from 39% in 2016 to 45% in 2018.
• Of the students in the 2010 cohort who completed a two-year degree by 2018, 36.8%  began at a different institution than where they finished.
  • This is significantly higher than for 2010 cohort students who completed at both public (24.1%) and private (20.3%) four-year institutions.
• The completion rate for both men and women increased 6% between 2016 and 2018 (six year vs. eight year graduation rate).
  • Women, however, completed college at a higher rate than men. The six-year completion rate for women of the 2010 cohort was 58.2%, which increased to 63.9% for the eight-year completion rate. Men completed college at 51.4% at the six-year mark, which increased to 57.4% at the eight-year mark.
• Overall, the completion rate for Asian, Hispanic, Black and White students all increased between 2016 and 2018 with the additional two years provided to graduate.
  • Asian students’ completion rate increased 8.3% to 71.5%.
  • Hispanic student completion rates improved 7.4% to 53.2%.
  • Black student completion rose 6.3% to 44.3%.
  • White student completion increased 5.4% to 67.4%.
• At four-year institutions, completion rates also increased for all sub groups between 2016 and 2018 (six-year vs eight-year completion rate).
  • Hispanic student completion rates jumped 8.0%, from a 55% six-year completion rate to a 63% eight-year completion rate, the largest completion rate increase for any demographic group.
  • Completion rates for Asian students increased 7.4% to 79.2%.
  • Completion rates for Black students increased 7.2% to 53.1%.
  • White students’ completion rates improved 6.0% to 73.1%.
• Among students who started at a two-year institution, completion rates for all sub groups increased from 2016 to 2018 when given an additional two years to graduate.
  • Asian student completion rates increased 10.7%, from a six-year completion rate of 43.8% to an eight-year completion rate of 54.5%. This is the largest completion rate increase for any student group.
  • Completion rates for Hispanic students improved 7.2% to 40.3%.
  • White student completion rates increased 6% to 51.1%.
  • Black student completion rates improved 5.1% to 30.9%.
  • Of students who started at a two-year institution, 16.3% of Asian students, 5.9% of black students, 9.7% of Hispanic students, and 11.2% of white students completed a four-year degree.
• Private, non-profit institutions had the highest six-year (73.9%) and eight-year completion (78.4%)  rates.
  • For six-year outcomes, public two-year institutions had a completion rate of 39.3%, and public four-year institutions had a completion rate of 62.4%.
  • For eight-year outcomes, public two-year institutions had a completion rate of 45.3%, and public four-year institutions had a completion rate of 68.8%.
• Student enrollment patterns had an effect on completion rates.
  • 78.9% of students who enrolled exclusively full time completed within eight years.
  • 23.3% of students who enrolled solely part time completed within eight years.
  • Students who at times enrolled both full time and part time had an eight-year completion rate of 51.9%.