Graduation Rates
The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, requires institutions to publish their graduation/completion rates. The information below is provided in accordance with the federal Student Right-to-Know Act.
| Year | Cohort Group | Total Students in Sample | Percentage Graduated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 09/01/2019 - 08/31/2020 | 687 | 30% |
| 2024 | 09/01/2018 - 08/31/2019 | 667 | 33% |
| 2023 | 09/01/2017 - 08/31/2018 | 712 | 37% |
| 2022 | 09/01/2016 - 08/31/2017 | 641 | 33% |
When reviewing this information, please be aware of the following items:
- The cohort group listed above only reflects first-time, full-time degree and certificate seeking students who graduated with a certificate, associate, or bachelor degree and have never attended another postsecondary school. This is a very small population of students at CSU, because the majority of our students transfer credit from another university. Therefore, the numbers do not reflect CSU’s overall graduation rate.
Retention Rates
CSU is required to report retention rates as defined by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Rates refer to the percentage of first-time, bachelor-seeking students who enroll in the fall period and return to CSU in the next fall period.
The retention rate cohort reflects students who have never attended another postsecondary school. This population is very small because the majority of CSU students transfer credit from another university. Therefore, the numbers below do not accurately portray CSU’s overall retention rate.
| Enrolled | Retained | First Time, Full Time, Bachelor Seeking | First Time, Part Time, Bachelor Seeking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolled Fall 2024 | Retained Fall 2025 | 63% | 43% |
| Enrolled Fall 2023 | Retained Fall 2024 | 71% | 50% |
| Enrolled Fall 2022 | Retained Fall 2023 | 59% | 30% |
| Enrolled Fall 2021 | Retained Fall 2022 | 42% | 30% |
Persistence Rate
CSU defines persistence rate as “the percentage of students who transition from one term to the next term in the same track, excluding students who were ineligible to transition due to withdrawal/drop or completion of degree requirements.” Because of CSU’s academic calendar, 9-week terms, and flexible enrollment schedules, persistence rate is an important metric for determining the success of CSU’s adult student population.
This information is updated at the end of each academic year (July 1 – June 30).
Student Persistence
Percent of students persisting, by term. Values range from 81.55% to 86.62%.
View data as a table
| Term Name | Pct Persistence Existing |
|---|---|
| 1B26 | 81.67% |
| 1A26 | 82.03% |
| 2B26 | 82.96% |
| 2A26 | 83.98% |
| 3B26 | 81.55% |
| 3A26 | 82.66% |
| 4B26 | 86.62% |
| 4A26 | 85.28% |
| 5B26 | 84.64% |
| 5A26 | 85.27% |
| 6B26 | 83.69% |
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