DCC Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Dawson Community College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Make an informed decision about your education by understanding DCC 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.

• DCC Retention Rate
• DCC 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
• DCC Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

DCC Retention Rate

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

With 49% students making it past their freshmen year, DCC has freshmen retention rates similar to the national average.

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

When looking at just colleges and universities in Montana, the average is 66.19%.

DCC Graduation Rates

Of the 51 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

28% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 27% in six years, and 28% 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 DCC graduation rate 27%.

DCC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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DCC Drop Out Rate

Approximately 133 students or 72% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 133 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 35 transferred to another institution.

• DCC lost contact with the remaining 96 who we assumed dropped out.

DCC 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 DCC 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 DCC Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Dawson Community College represent 58% of the students in the class of 2015, and 58.82% of DCC bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 28%, first-time students in the DCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the DCC graduation rate was 28%, and by the eight year mark, 30% 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.

DCC First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time DCC Drop Out Rates

76 first-time / full-time students or 70% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 31 transferred to another institution.

• DCC lost contact with the remaining 45 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Dawson Community College represent 3.23% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 17%, first-time, part-time students in the DCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 17%.

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 DCC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time DCC Drop Out Rates

5 first-time / part-time students or 83% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• DCC lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

48 DCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 25.81% 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 35%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 35%.

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.

DCC Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time DCC Drop Out Rates

31 non first-time / part-time students or 65% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 2 transferred to another institution.

• DCC lost contact with the remaining 28 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

24 DCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 12.90% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 13%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 13%.

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.

DCC Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time DCC Drop Out Rates

21 non first-time / part-time students or 87% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• DCC lost contact with the remaining 20 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