{"id":153,"date":"2013-07-12T09:19:36","date_gmt":"2013-07-12T14:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/iea\/?page_id=153"},"modified":"2026-02-03T15:59:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T21:59:27","slug":"student-retention-and-graduation-rates","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/iea\/student-retention-and-graduation-rates\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Retention and Graduation Statistics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Retention and graduation rates are among the important factors used in judging the quality of an undergraduate college. The following tables compiled by the Registrar’s office show the retention and graduation rates based on a cohort of full-time first-year students who are seeking a degree for the first time. The first table below gives the data in actual numbers, the second in percentages of the original cohort. Graduate numbers are as of August 31 for each year; retention figures are as of 10th day of the Fall semester.<\/p>\n

As required by the disclosure requirements of the U.S. Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, these interactive dashboards<\/span><\/a> show retention and graduation rates disaggregated by sex, race\/ethnicity\/citizenship status, and federal student aid categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Full Cohort Retention and Graduation Headcounts*<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<—-Returning—><\/td>\n<–Graduates–><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Entering
Year<\/td>\n		\n
Cohort Count<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
2nd Yr<\/td>\n3rd Yr<\/td>\n4th Yr
or
grad<\/td>\n		4 Yrs<\/td>\n5 Yrs<\/td>\n6 Yrs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1991<\/td>\n731<\/td>\n663<\/td>\n600<\/td>\n587<\/td>\n534<\/td>\n566<\/td>\n572<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1992<\/td>\n701<\/td>\n618<\/td>\n574<\/td>\n554<\/td>\n510<\/td>\n537<\/td>\n550<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1993<\/td>\n737<\/td>\n644<\/td>\n594<\/td>\n576<\/td>\n519<\/td>\n561<\/td>\n569<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1994<\/td>\n739<\/td>\n618<\/td>\n570<\/td>\n566<\/td>\n523<\/td>\n552<\/td>\n555<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1995<\/td>\n742<\/td>\n665<\/td>\n620<\/td>\n606<\/td>\n557<\/td>\n588<\/td>\n595<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1996<\/td>\n771<\/td>\n682<\/td>\n643<\/td>\n626<\/td>\n565<\/td>\n608<\/td>\n620<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1997<\/td>\n722<\/td>\n661<\/td>\n610<\/td>\n600<\/td>\n539<\/td>\n579<\/td>\n587<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1998<\/td>\n755<\/td>\n691<\/td>\n653<\/td>\n645<\/td>\n593<\/td>\n627<\/td>\n634<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1999<\/td>\n761<\/td>\n698<\/td>\n644<\/td>\n641<\/td>\n594<\/td>\n631<\/td>\n636<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2000<\/td>\n753<\/td>\n697<\/td>\n662<\/td>\n645<\/td>\n600<\/td>\n632<\/td>\n638<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2001<\/td>\n744<\/td>\n692<\/td>\n662<\/td>\n651<\/td>\n608<\/td>\n\n
634<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
641<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2002<\/td>\n777<\/td>\n717<\/td>\n679<\/td>\n675<\/td>\n\n
645<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
668<\/td>\n672<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2003<\/td>\n719<\/td>\n673<\/td>\n645<\/td>\n631<\/td>\n593<\/td>\n622<\/td>\n628<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2004<\/td>\n777<\/td>\n716<\/td>\n678<\/td>\n672<\/td>\n631<\/td>\n662<\/td>\n664<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2005<\/td>\n764<\/td>\n713<\/td>\n662<\/td>\n656<\/td>\n617<\/td>\n641<\/td>\n649<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2006<\/td>\n792<\/td>\n742<\/td>\n698<\/td>\n697<\/td>\n660<\/td>\n682<\/td>\n684<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2007<\/td>\n751<\/td>\n689<\/td>\n664<\/td>\n659<\/td>\n624<\/td>\n652<\/td>\n654<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2008<\/td>\n813<\/td>\n758<\/td>\n730<\/td>\n726<\/td>\n698<\/td>\n719<\/td>\n722<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2009<\/td>\n776<\/td>\n725<\/td>\n697<\/td>\n684<\/td>\n652<\/td>\n675<\/td>\n678<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2010<\/td>\n843<\/td>\n795<\/td>\n759<\/td>\n751<\/td>\n719<\/td>\n738<\/td>\n742<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011<\/td>\n738<\/td>\n686<\/td>\n654<\/td>\n649<\/td>\n625<\/td>\n650<\/td>\n651<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012<\/td>\n863<\/td>\n808<\/td>\n768<\/td>\n\u00a0750<\/td>\n708<\/td>\n743<\/td>\n746<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013<\/td>\n751<\/td>\n697<\/td>\n661<\/td>\n656<\/td>\n605<\/td>\n643<\/td>\n649<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014<\/td>\n764<\/td>\n713<\/td>\n679<\/td>\n658<\/td>\n625<\/td>\n647<\/td>\n649<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015<\/td>\n761<\/td>\n704<\/td>\n662<\/td>\n657<\/td>\n616<\/td>\n642<\/td>\n648<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2016<\/td>\n822<\/td>\n758<\/td>\n714<\/td>\n705<\/td>\n670<\/td>\n693<\/td>\n697<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2017<\/td>\n782<\/td>\n710<\/td>\n671<\/td>\n660<\/td>\n620<\/td>\n651<\/td>\n653<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\n806<\/td>\n731<\/td>\n674<\/td>\n686<\/td>\n624<\/td>\n665<\/td>\n677<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019<\/td>\n805<\/td>\n733<\/td>\n695<\/td>\n682<\/td>\n619<\/td>\n659<\/td>\n670<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\n726<\/td>\n659<\/td>\n619<\/td>\n602<\/td>\n554<\/td>\n588<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2021<\/td>\n753<\/td>\n680<\/td>\n642<\/td>\n632<\/td>\n583<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\n867<\/td>\n785<\/td>\n756<\/td>\n740<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\n822<\/td>\n760<\/td>\n719<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\n859<\/td>\n804<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2025<\/td>\n794<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* Cohorts include first-year, first-time, degree-seeking students; students who were “allowable exclusions” are removed (deceased, serving in military, federal service, or church mission before graduation, or later found to be misclassified).
Most cohorts have at least one such adjustment, so retention and graduation numbers here may or may not exactly match reporting done elsewhere.<\/i><\/small><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Full Cohort Retention and Graduation Rates*<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<—-Returning—><\/td>\n<—Graduates—><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Entering
Year<\/td>\n		\n
Cohort Rate<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
2nd Yr<\/td>\n3rd Yr<\/td>\n4th Yr
or
grad<\/td>\n		4 Yrs<\/td>\n5 Yrs<\/td>\n6 Yrs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1991<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n90.7%<\/td>\n82.1%<\/td>\n80.3%<\/td>\n73.1%<\/td>\n77.4%<\/td>\n78.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1992<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n88.0%<\/td>\n81.8%<\/td>\n79.0%<\/td>\n72.8%<\/td>\n76.6%<\/td>\n78.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1993<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n87.4%<\/td>\n80.6%<\/td>\n78.2%<\/td>\n70.4%<\/td>\n76.1%<\/td>\n77.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1994<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n83.3%<\/td>\n77.0%<\/td>\n76.6%<\/td>\n70.8%<\/td>\n74.7%<\/td>\n75.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1995<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n89.5%<\/td>\n83.6%<\/td>\n81.7%<\/td>\n75.1%<\/td>\n79.2%<\/td>\n80.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1996<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n88.3%<\/td>\n83.3%<\/td>\n81.1%<\/td>\n73.3%<\/td>\n78.9%<\/td>\n80.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1997<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n91.6%<\/td>\n84.5%<\/td>\n83.1%<\/td>\n74.7%<\/td>\n80.2%<\/td>\n81.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1998<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n91.5%<\/td>\n86.5%<\/td>\n85.4%<\/td>\n78.5%<\/td>\n83.0%<\/td>\n84.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1999<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n91.1%<\/td>\n84.5%<\/td>\n84.2%<\/td>\n78.1%<\/td>\n82.9%<\/td>\n83.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2000<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n92.6%<\/td>\n87.9%<\/td>\n85.7%<\/td>\n79.7%<\/td>\n83.9%<\/td>\n84.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2001<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n92.9%<\/td>\n89.0%<\/td>\n87.5%<\/td>\n81.7%<\/td>\n85.2%<\/td>\n86.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2002<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n92.0%<\/td>\n87.2%<\/td>\n86.9%<\/td>\n83.0%<\/td>\n86.0%<\/td>\n86.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2003<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n\u00a093.5%<\/td>\n89.6%<\/td>\n87.8%<\/td>\n82.5%<\/td>\n86.5%<\/td>\n87.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2004<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n92.1%<\/td>\n87.3%<\/td>\n86.5%<\/td>\n81.2%<\/td>\n85.2%<\/td>\n85.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2005<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n93.3%<\/td>\n86.6%<\/td>\n85.9%<\/td>\n80.8%<\/td>\n83.9%<\/td>\n84.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2006<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n93.6%<\/td>\n88.0%<\/td>\n88.0%<\/td>\n83.3%<\/td>\n86.1%<\/td>\n86.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2007<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n91.7%<\/td>\n88.4%<\/td>\n87.7%<\/td>\n83.1%<\/td>\n86.8%<\/td>\n87.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2008<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n93.2%<\/td>\n89.8%<\/td>\n89.3%<\/td>\n85.9%<\/td>\n88.4%<\/td>\n88.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2009<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n93.3%<\/td>\n89.8%<\/td>\n88.1%<\/td>\n84.0%<\/td>\n87.0%<\/td>\n87.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2010<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n94.3%<\/td>\n90.0%<\/td>\n89.1%<\/td>\n85.3%<\/td>\n87.5%<\/td>\n88.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n92.8%<\/td>\n88.6%<\/td>\n87.9%<\/td>\n84.7%<\/td>\n88.1%<\/td>\n88.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n93.5%<\/td>\n88.9%<\/td>\n86.9%<\/td>\n82.0%<\/td>\n86.1%<\/td>\n86.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n92.7%<\/td>\n88.0%<\/td>\n87.4%<\/td>\n80.6%<\/td>\n85.6%<\/td>\n86.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n93.2%<\/td>\n88.9%<\/td>\n86.1%<\/td>\n81.8%<\/td>\n84.7%<\/td>\n84.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n92.3%<\/td>\n87.0%<\/td>\n86.3%<\/td>\n80.9%<\/td>\n84.4%<\/td>\n85.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2016<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n92.2%<\/td>\n86.9%<\/td>\n85.8%<\/td>\n81.5%
<\/em><\/td>\n		84.3%<\/td>\n84.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2017<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n90.6%<\/td>\n85.7%<\/td>\n84.4%<\/td>\n79.3%<\/td>\n83.2%<\/td>\n83.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n90.7%<\/td>\n83.6%<\/td>\n85.1%<\/td>\n77.4%<\/td>\n82.5%<\/td>\n84.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n90.9%<\/td>\n86.3%<\/td>\n84.7%<\/td>\n76.9%<\/td>\n81.9%<\/td>\n83.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n90.5%<\/td>\n85.1%<\/td>\n82.8%<\/td>\n76.3%<\/td>\n81.0%<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2021<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n90.1%<\/td>\n85.1%<\/td>\n83.9%<\/td>\n77.4%<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n90.5%<\/td>\n87.2%<\/td>\n85.4%<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n92.2%<\/td>\n87.5%<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\n100.0%<\/td>\n93.6%<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* Cohorts include first-year, first-time, degree-seeking students; students who were “allowable exclusions” are removed (deceased, serving in military, federal service, or church mission before graduation, or later found to be misclassified).
Most cohorts have at least one such adjustment, so retention and graduation rates here may or may not exactly match reporting done elsewhere.<\/i><\/small><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/td>\n<—-Returning——><\/td>\n<—-Graduates——><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2nd Yr<\/td>\n3rd Yr<\/td>\n4th Yr
or
grad<\/td>\n		4 Yrs<\/td>\n5 Yrs<\/td>\n6 Yrs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
most recent
4-year average
Student Right-to-Know<\/td>\n		91.6%<\/td>\n86.2%<\/td>\n84.2%<\/td>\n77.0%<\/td>\n82.2%<\/td>\n83.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n

last update: 9\/26\/2025<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Retention and graduation rates are among the important factors used in judging the quality of an undergraduate college. The following tables compiled by the Registrar’s office show the retention and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":209,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-153","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/iea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/iea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/iea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/iea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/209"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/iea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153"}],"version-history":[{"count":66,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/iea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11006,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/iea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/153\/revisions\/11006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/iea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}