Cal State LA Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

California State University - Los Angeles 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Are students coming back to Cal State LA after their first year? Are Cal State LA students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.

• Cal State LA Retention Rate
• Cal State LA Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• Cal State LA Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Cal State LA Retention Rate

Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.

With 83% students making it past their freshmen year, Cal State LA has freshmen retention rates above the national average.

Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.

When looking at just colleges and universities in California, the average is 73.07%.

Cal State LA Graduation Rates

There were approximately 3,640 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?

6% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 64% in six years, and 69% in eight years.

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 Cal State LA graduation rate 64%.

How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Cal State LA? The standard length of time for most students is 5.14 years.

Cal State LA Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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Cal State LA Drop Out Rate

Approximately 1794 students or 31% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 1794 students who did not complete their degree?

• 81 are still enrolled.

• 903 transferred to another institution.

• Cal State LA lost contact with the remaining 822 who we assumed dropped out.

Cal State LA Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.

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.

The majority of students at Cal State LA are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.

First-Time / Full-Time Cal State LA Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at California State University - Los Angeles represent 42% of the students in the class of 2015, and 31.21% of Cal State LA bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 6%, first-time students in the Cal State LA class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the Cal State LA graduation rate was 47%, and by the eight year mark, 56% of the cohort had completed their degree.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.

Cal State LA First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time Cal State LA Drop Out Rates

1050 first-time / full-time students or 44% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 81 are still enrolled.

• 566 transferred to another institution.

• Cal State LA lost contact with the remaining 433 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at California State University - Los Angeles represent 1.17% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 18%, first-time, part-time students in the Cal State LA class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 22%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.

First-Time / Part-Time Cal State LA Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time Cal State LA Drop Out Rates

52 first-time / part-time students or 78% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 26 transferred to another institution.

• Cal State LA lost contact with the remaining 25 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

2372 Cal State LA students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 41.47% of the students in the class of 2015.

Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.

With a six year graduation rate of 80%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 82%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.

Cal State LA Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time Cal State LA Drop Out Rates

428 non first-time / part-time students or 18% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 11 are still enrolled.

• 187 transferred to another institution.

• Cal State LA lost contact with the remaining 230 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

872 Cal State LA students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 15.24% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 67%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 70%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.

Cal State LA Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time Cal State LA Drop Out Rates

264 non first-time / part-time students or 30% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 6 are still enrolled.

• 124 transferred to another institution.

• Cal State LA lost contact with the remaining 134 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• Image Credit: By Justefrain under License