February 26, 2013

National Student Clearinghouse releases six-year graduation rates for 2006 cohort

The National Student Clearinghouse recently released an interactive map that illustrates the experience of students who were first time freshmen in 2006. The map shows six-year graduation rates broken down by institution type, student age, and part-time or full-time status. Washington’s level of college completion was higher than average—Washington’s six-year graduation rate for the 2006 first-time freshman cohort, across all types of institutions, was 66.3 percent, while the national average was 60.6 percent.  Interestingly, full-time students at four-year public institutions in Washington had a much higher six-year graduation rate, at 86.4 percent, compared to 81 percent nationwide. Unfortunately, Washington students who enrolled part-time had completion rates below 19 percent at four-year publics and below 13 percent at two-year schools. Furthermore, non-traditional students (first-time freshmen 25 years old or more) were much less likely to graduate in six years than their younger counterparts.

To learn more, or to see how Washington compares to the rest of the United States, check out the interactive map featured on the Chronicle’s website or read the NSC’s report.