A periodic newsletter on a single topic of interest published by the Office of Higher Education
Graduation Rates Inching Up at Some Minnesota Colleges
Graduation rates vary greatly among colleges. Colleges admitting only the highest-achieving students tend to have high graduation rates, while those with less rigorous entrance criteria typically have lower completion rates. Other factors may affect timely graduation as well, such as the effectiveness of course scheduling and advising. This issue of Insight looks at Minnesota's progress in improving college completion rates.
Graduation rates at Minnesota's four-year public and private colleges have increased over the last 11 years. Sixty-one percent of all first-year, full-time degree-seeking students who entered a Minnesota four-year college in 2002 completed a bachelor's degree within six years at the institution where they started. This statewide average places Minnesota at about the national average.
6-Year Bachelor's Degree Graduation Rates at Minnesota's 4-Year Institutions
| 1998 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 |
|---|
| State Universities | 40% | 42% | 44% | 46% | 47% | 48% |
| University of Minnesota | 44% | 48% | 51% | 53% | 57% | 61% |
| Private Colleges | 66% | 69% | 71% | 68% | 68% | 72% |
Source: Intregrated Postsecondary Education Data System and the MN Office of Higher Education
Defining Graduation Rates
The graduation rate tracks cohorts of first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students and identifies what proportion complete a bachelor's degree within four or six years at the same institution where they began their studies. Graduation rates are calculated for students who received a bachelor's degree within six years at the same institution. Note that not all students at the institution are tracked for these rates. Students who have already attended another postsecondary institution, or who began their studies on a part-time basis, are not tracked for this rate.
Few if any colleges will ever post a 100 percent graduation rate. Students will transfer, drop out or enroll part time after being enrolled full time as their circumstances change. However graduation rates at four-year institutions can provide some indication of student and institutional success. A high graduation rate may be an indication of well targeted student recruitment, effective academic scheduling and advising and strong student support.
6-Year Bachelor's Degree Graduation Rates at Minnesota's 4-Year Institutions
Percent of first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received a bachelor's degree within 6 years, multiple year trends
| Institution Name | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|
| |
| University of Minnesota - All | 53 | 56 | 57 | 59 | 61 |
| University of Minnesota-Crookston | 37 | 35 | 26 | 33 | 36 |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | 46 | 48 | 51 | 50 | 50 |
| University of Minnesota-Morris | 52 | 55 | 57 | 58 | 63 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | 56 | 61 | 61 | 63 | 66 |
| |
| State Universities - All | 46 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 |
| Bemidji State University | 42 | 47 | 45 | 50 | 46 |
| Metropolitan State University | 33 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 20 |
| Minnesota State Univ-Mankato | 48 | 49 | 48 | 50 | 51 |
| Minnesota State Univ-Moorhead | 41 | 42 | 42 | 45 | 40 |
| Saint Cloud State University | 43 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 49 |
| Southwest Minnesota State University | 49 | 38 | 40 | 43 | 40 |
| Winona State University | 51 | 52 | 54 | 53 | 55 |
| |
| Private Colleges - All | 68 | 70 | 68 | 72 | 72 |
| Augsburg College | 54 | 55 | 52 | 60 | 56 |
| Bethany Lutheran College | 73 | 76 | 23 | 75 | 78 |
| Bethel University | 73 | 73 | 70 | 76 | 75 |
| Carleton College | 90 | 87 | 93 | 93 | 93 |
| College of Saint Benedict | 82 | 77 | 80 | 82 | 84 |
| College of Saint Scholastica | 67 | 63 | 66 | 64 | 66 |
| College of Saint Catherine | 59 | 58 | 57 | 58 | 58 |
| College of Visual Arts | 26 | 27 | 25 | 40 | 20 |
| Concordia College at Moorhead | 65 | 63 | 70 | 69 | 66 |
| Concordia Univ-Saint Paul | 38 | 42 | 41 | 45 | 50 |
| Crossroads College | 28 | 31 | 20 | 20 | 31 |
| Crown College | 55 | 53 | 46 | 48 | 53 |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | 71 | 76 | 67 | 86 | 83 |
| Hamline University | 71 | 70 | 61 | 69 | 71 |
| Macalester College | 81 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 87 |
| Martin Luther College | 71 | 73 | 69 | 68 | 67 |
| Minneapolis Coll of Art & Design | 71 | 71 | 73 | 52 | 59 |
| North Central University | 43 | 44 | 29 | 46 | 37 |
| Northwestern College | 57 | 59 | 58 | 59 | 57 |
| Oak Hills Christian College | 17 | 28 | 19 | 20 | 31 |
| Saint John's University | 81 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 83 |
| Saint Mary's Univ of Minnesota | 58 | 65 | 61 | 53 | 57 |
| Saint Olaf College | 84 | 83 | 85 | 86 | 86 |
| University of Saint Thomas | 71 | 74 | 74 | 72 | 72 |
Graduation rates are calculated for students who received a bachelor's degree within six years at the same institution. Note that not all students at the institution are tracked for these rates. Students who have already attended another postsecondary institution, or who began their studies on a part-time basis, are not tracked for this rate.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Graduation Rate Survey
Comparing Minnesota
Minnesota's most recent statewide graduation rate is lower than the top performing states in the nation. Minnesota's average rate is also lower than the average for peer states of Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Graduation rates for each of Minnesota's four-year colleges and universities are as follows.
6-Year Bachelor's Degree Graduation Rates at Minnesota's 4-Year Institutions 2008
| Institution Name | Fall 2002 Cohort | 4-Year Graduation Rate | 6-Year Graduation Rate |
|---|
| |
| University of Minnesota - All | 7,905 | 36.2% | 60.6% | |
| University of Minnesota-Crookston | 243 | 21.4% | 36.2% | |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | 2,025 | 23.5% | 50.1% | |
| University of Minnesota-Morris | 475 | 46.1% | 62.9% | |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | 5,162 | 41.0% | 65.7% | |
| |
| State Universities - All | 8,079 | 19.8% | 48.3% | |
| Bemidji State University | 584 | 19.5% | 45.9% | |
| Metropolitan State University | 55 | 5.5% | 20.0% | |
| Minnesota State Univ-Mankato | 2,050 | 18.3% | 51.2% | |
| Minnesota State Univ-Moorhead | 1,246 | 17.5% | 40.0% | |
| Saint Cloud State University | 2,151 | 19.3% | 48.7% | |
| Southwest Minnesota State University | 476 | 20.0% | 40.1% | |
| Winona State University | 1,517 | 24.9% | 55.3% | |
| |
| Private Colleges - All | 9,080 | 62.2% | 72.2% | |
| Augsburg College | 347 | 37.2% | 56.5% | |
| Bethany Lutheran College | 88 | 71.6% | 78.4% | |
| Bethel University | 565 | 65.5% | 75.2% | |
| Carleton College | 499 | 89.6% | 93.2% | |
| College of Saint Benedict | 516 | 79.5% | 84.1% | |
| College of Saint Scholastica | 382 | 57.1% | 66.5% | |
| College of Saint Catherine | 315 | 37.1% | 57.8% | |
| College of Visual Arts | 25 | 0.0% | 20.0% | |
| Concordia College at Moorhead | 748 | 60.2% | 65.8% | |
| Concordia Univ-Saint Paul | 175 | 32.6% | 49.7% | |
| Crossroads College | 26 | 11.5% | 53.8% | |
| Crown College | 129 | 35.7% | 57.4% | |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | 645 | 80.8% | 82.9% | |
| Hamline University | 413 | 64.6% | 71.4% | |
| Macalester College | 440 | 84.1% | 87.3% | |
| Martin Luther College | 241 | 41.9% | 67.2% | |
| Minneapolis Coll of Art & Design | 123 | 52.8% | 58.5% | |
| North Central University | 224 | 14.3% | 37.9% | |
| Northwestern College | 430 | 42.6% | 57.7% | |
| Oak Hills Christian College | 13 | 23.1% | 38.5% | |
| Saint John's University | 468 | 72.6% | 82.7% | |
| Saint Mary's Univ of Minnesota | 396 | 45.2% | 56.6% | |
| Saint Olaf College | 777 | 83.0% | 86.5% | |
| University of Saint Thomas | 1,095 | 57.4% | 72.3% | |
Fall 2002 cohort are first-time, full-time, degree seeking students. It is an institution's revised cohort minus any allowable exclusions. Graduation rates are calculated for students who received a bachelor's degree at the same institution. Note that not all students at the institution are tracked for these rates. Students who have already attended another postsecondary institution, or who began their studies on a part-time basis, are not tracked for this rate.
Data are perturbed by the U.S. Department of Education to protect student privacy and may be slightly different than data reported by the institution.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completion Survey
6-Year Bachelor's Degree Graduation Rates for the Top 10 Most Popular Out-of-State Schools Attended by Minnesota Residents 2008
| | 4-Year Graduation Rate | 6-Year Graduation Rate |
|---|
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 19% | 47% |
| University of North Dakota | 22% | 54% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 50% | 81% |
| University of Wisconsin-River Falls | 27% | 55% |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout | 17% | 53% |
| Iowa State University | 34% | 67% |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 21% | 61% |
| South Dakota State University | 21% | 53% |
| Luther College (Iowa) | 61% | 72% |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | 30% | 65% |
Most popular listed first.
Improving Graduation Rates at the University of Minnesota
While Minnesota's private non-profit colleges tend to have the highest graduation rates in Minnesota, the University of Minnesota has posted the greatest improvement in its rates over time. The combined six-year graduation rate for all University of Minnesota campuses increased from 44 percent in 1998 to 61 percent in 2008.
The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities increased its six-year graduation rate from 56 percent to 66 percent over the same 10-year period.
The University of Minnesota's Board of Regents and President have encouraged improvement in graduation rates for several years. The Twin Cities campus has set goals to improve graduation rates by 2012 as follows:
- four-year graduation rate of 50 percent
- five-year rate of 70 percent
- six-year rate of 75 percent
Bachelor's Degree Graduation Rates for Universities in the Big Ten Conference 2008
| | 4-Year Graduation Rate | 6-Year Graduation Rate |
|---|
| Northwestern University | 86% | 94% |
| University of Michigan | 70% | 88% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 60% | 85% |
| University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana | 64% | 82% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 50% | 81% |
| Michigan State University | 47% | 75% |
| Indiana University, Bloomington | 51% | 73% |
| Ohio State University | 42% | 73% |
| Purdue University | 38% | 72% |
| University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | 41% | 66% |
| University of Iowa* | 40% | 66% |
*2007 data shown
About the Office of Higher Education
The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is a cabinet-level state agency providing students with financial aid programs and information to help them gain access to postsecondary education. The agency also serves as the state's clearinghouse for data, research and analysis on postsecondary enrollment, financial aid, finance and trends.
The Minnesota State Grant Program is the largest financial aid program administered by the Office of Higher Education, awarding up to $150 million in need-based grants to Minnesota residents attending eligible colleges, universities and career schools in Minnesota. The agency oversees other state scholarship programs, tuition reciprocity programs, a student loan program, Minnesota's 529 College Savings Plan, licensing and early college awareness programs and initiatives for youth.
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» TABLE OF CONTENTS «
Defining Graduation Rates
Comparing Minnesota
Improving Graduation Rates at the University of Minnesota
» RELATED TOPIC «
Graduation Rates
» FEATURED LINKS «
Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them • 2009 Report by Public Agenda
To compare any U.S. institution's 6-year graduation rate with its peer institutions nationally visit the EdTrust Website
Placing Graduation Rates in Context 2007, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education [ .pdf ]
Using Graduation Rates for Cost Benefit Analysis. Wall Street Journal Blog, June 2009.
Diplomas and Dropouts, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
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Author
Alexandra Djurovich
Research and Policy Analyst
Editor
Barb Schlaefer
Director of Communications
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