Definitions
Graduation Rates

For first-time, full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates who begin in the summer/fall of the enrollment year and graduate within four, five, or six years

  • at the same institution
    • 4-year, same rate
    • 5-year, same rate
    • 6-year, same rate
  • at the same or any public or private university in Texas
    • 4-year, same or other rate
    • 5-year, same or other rate
    • 6-year, same or other rate

Additionally, four year graduation rates of community college transfer students are available. These 4-year transfer rates represent the percentage of first-time transfer students entering a UT institution with 30 or more semester credit hours who received an undergraduate degree within four years of enrolling at the same UT institution.  

CAP Students

The Coordinated Admission Program (CAP) was developed by The University of Texas System to expand the admission options available to students interested in enrolling at UT Austin. CAP students begin as freshmen at another UT System university and may transfer to UT Austin to complete their studies if they successfully complete program requirements. CAP students were not systematically identified by all campuses as degree-seeking, and, therefore, may not be included in the institution's cohort.

Effect of CAP on Graduation Rates

Institutions with large numbers of CAP students (e.g., UTA, UTSA) will see a negative impact on their traditional, 4-year, same graduation rates—since these students will not graduate from the original institution from which they initially enrolled. However, upon graduating from UT Austin, these CAP graduates are included in the original UT institution’s (not UT Austin’s) 4, 5, or 6-year, same or other rate.

Cohort

A group of students. In this dashboard, it refers to an entering class of students, which are first-time, full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates.

Graduation Rates (used by IPEDS)

For the number of students entering the institution as full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students in a particular year (cohort).

  • 4-Year Rate—the total number of students completing a bachelor degree or equivalent within 4-years (100% of normal time) divided by the revised bachelor subcohort minus any allowable exclusions.
  • 6-Year Rate—the total number of students completing a bachelor degree or equivalent within 6-years (150% of normal time) divided by the revised bachelor subcohort minus any allowable exclusions.

Notes

Large fluctuations in graduation rates by race/ethnicity may occur when there are small numbers of students within those groups.

Institution Specific Notes

UT Brownsville is not included because first-time undergraduates typically matriculate at Texas Southmost College.
UT Tyler did not admit freshmen until summer/fall 1998 and class size was limited until fall 2003.
The UT Brownsville and UT Pan American campuses closed at the end of AY 2015. UT Rio Grande Valley began enrolling students in Fall 2015.

Time Specific Notes

Due to THECB data collection changes, the fall 2003 cohort are based on both non degree-seeking and degree-seeking students.

Sources

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB); UT institutions

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

More on This Topic

UT System Research Brief: Graduation Success: Performance & Strategies, November 2010