The Importance of Institutional Graduation Rates for College
- Slides: 9
The Importance of Institutional Graduation Rates for College Completion
College choice matters a great deal Even students with high GPAs in high school are still likely to fail if they choose colleges with a low overall/“institutional” graduation rate. A school’s institutional graduation rate can differ across subgroups, so it is important for students to choose schools with strong supports for their particular background and qualifications. 2
A college’s overall graduation rate is a strong indicator of an individual student’s likelihood to graduate Similar students who choose a college with a higher institutional graduation rate are up to more likely to graduate from college 3 Source: Roderick, M. , et al. (2008). From high school to the future: Potholes on the road to college. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Consortium on School Research
Institutional graduations rates vary within selectivity bands* College Name Selectivity Category 2014 6 -yr Institutional Graduation Rate 2014 6 -yr URM Graduation Rate Columbia College Chicago Non-Selective 43% 34% Northeastern Illinois University Somewhat Selective 22% 15% Northern Illinois University Somewhat Selective 50% 32% Southern Illinois University Carbondale** Somewhat Selective 44% 33% Chicago State University Somewhat Selective 19% 18% Western Illinois University Somewhat Selective 54% 48% University of Illinois at Chicago Selective 60% 52% De. Paul University Selective 71% 68% Illinois State University Selective 72% 60% University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Very Selective 84% 77% * For top 10 4 -year colleges attended by CPS students 4 National Center for Education Statistics
Institutional graduations rates vary within selectivity bands* College Name Selectivity Category 2014 6 -yr Institutional Graduation Rate 2014 6 -yr URM Graduation Rate Columbia College Chicago Non-Selective 43% 34% Northeastern Illinois University Somewhat Selective 22% 15% Northern Illinois University Somewhat Selective 50% 32% Southern Illinois University Carbondale** Somewhat Selective 44% 33% Chicago State University Somewhat Selective 19% 18% Western Illinois University Somewhat Selective 54% 48% University of Illinois at Chicago Selective 60% 52% De. Paul University Selective 71% 68% Illinois State University Selective 72% 60% University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Very Selective 84% 77% * For top 10 4 -year colleges attended by CPS students 5 National Center for Education Statistics
Institutional graduation rates also vary widely for students with the same GPA Institutional graduation rates across top CPS receiving institutions for students with the same high school GPA of 3. 0 62% 49% 47% 41% 40% 35% 24% 13% 6 Source: Roderick, M. , et al. (2008). From high school to the future: Potholes on the road to college. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. .
Many 4 -year Illinois colleges are improving their graduation rates for underrepresented minority students Six-year Underrepresented Minority (URM) Graduation Rate +9 pts +15 pts 77% 68% +7 pts 68% +13 pts 60% 53% +2 pts 52% 46% 48% +12 pts 39% 34% +3 pts 30% 33% 22% 2006 2014 University of Illinois at Urbana. Champaign 7 2006 2014 De. Paul University 2006 2014 Illinois State University 2006 2014 University of Illinois at Chicago 2006 2014 Western Illinois University 2006 2014 Columbia College Chicago National Center for Education Statistics. See toandthrough. uchicago. edu/data/references for details. 2006 2014 Southern Illinois University Carbondale
More CPS graduates have enrolled in 4 -year colleges with institutional graduations rates above 50% Percentages of CPS graduates who enrolled in colleges with six-year institutional graduation rates of 50% or higher, 2006 vs. 2015 2006 58% 8 67% Source: Nagaoka, J. , Seeskin, A. , & Coca, V. M. (2017). The educational attainment of Chicago Public Schools students: 2016. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Consortium on School Research
Ultimately, a college’s overall graduation rate is just one factor to consider in the process of finding a good college match, but it can signal how well a college can support students in their quests to graduate from college. A key question for students to ask as they’re considering colleges: “Of the students who enroll here, how many of them graduate, particularly students like me? ” 9
