Student Achievement Data
| Graduation and Transfer-Out Rates | Persistence and Completion | Licensure Exam Pass Rate | Graduate Placement Rate |
Graduation and Transfer-Out Rates
What is a graduation rate and what is a transfer-out rate?
Federal regulations specify how to calculate the graduation and transfer rates. The rates come from a study of Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) students who started at the college in the fall of 2018. The study includes all first-time students who enrolled full-time that fall and were seeking to earn a degree, diploma or certificate at the college.
- Graduation Rate - The percentage of these students who graduated from M State within three years
- Transfer-Out Rate - The percentage of these students who did not graduate from M State, but instead transferred to another college or university within three years
What do I need to know about these rates?
These rates do not report on all students at M State. The 727 first-time, full-time students in the study represent about 12 percent of all students enrolled at M State in fall of 2018.
What are the graduation and transfer-out rates for M State students and how do they compare to rates for other colleges?
- The graduation rate for M State was 44 percent
- The transfer-out rate for M State was 47 percent
- The combination of the graduation rate and the transfer-out rate for M State was 91 percent
- The national average combined rate for similar colleges was 45 percent
Why don't more M State students graduate or transfer in three years?
- Since M State has an "open door" mission, many new students need to take "developmental" courses to improve their reading, writing or math skills before taking other college courses;
- Students who switch from full-time to part-time enrollment or "stop out" for one or more semesters are more likely to take more than three years to graduate;
- Some students take jobs before they graduate;
- Other students delay their education for personal, family or financial reasons.
| M State | Graduation Rate | Transfer-Out Rate | Combined Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Cohort | 44% | 47% | 91% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate | Transfer-Out Rate | Combined Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | * | * | * |
| Asian | * | * | * |
| Black or African American | 18% | 71% | 89% |
| Hispanic of any race | * | * | * |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | * | * | * |
| U.S. Nonresident | * | * | * |
| Two or more races | 19% | 69% | 89% |
| Unknown race and ethnicity | * | * | * |
| White | 50% | 41% | 91% |
| Gender | Graduation Rate | Transfer-Out Rate | Combined Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 41% | 53% | 93% |
| Male | 47% | 42% | 90% |
| Financial Aid | Graduation Rate | Transfer-Out Rate | Combined Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pell Grant Recipient | 39% | 52% | 91% |
| Received neither Pell nor Subsidized Stafford Loans | 50% | 41% | 91% |
| Received Subsidized Stafford Loans, but no Pell | 50% | 42% | 92% |
*Suppressed to protect student privacy. Due to rounding, percentages may not always appear to add up.
Visit www.minnesota.edu/about/student-right-to-know for more information regarding the Student Right-To-Know Act which requires higher education institutions participating in federally funded financial aid programs to publicly disclose specific data and information.
Student Persistence and Completion
| Fall 2016 | Fall 2017 | Fall 2018 | Fall 2019 | Fall 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66.6% | 68.0% | 68.4% | 67.0% | 69.1% |
Percent Change (end of term fall 2015 through fall 2020): 2.5%
Definition: Percent of fall entering cohort of regular and transfer students who have been retained, graduated, or transferred by the second fall term following original fall enrollment.
Completion Rate
| Fall 2014 | Fall 2015 | Fall 2016 | Fall 2017 | Fall 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48.1% | 52.7% | 49.2% | 51.1% | 52.3% |
Percent Change (end of term fall 2014 through fall 2018): 4.2%
Definition: Percent of entering cohort of undergraduate regular and transfer students that have completed. Completion is measured as graduation or transfer by the end of the third spring after entry at M State.
Licensure Exam Pass Rate
| CY 2015 | CY 2016 | CY 2017 | CY 2018 | CY 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94.6% | 86.0% | 81.1% | 89.6% | 93.1% |
Percent Change (calendar years 2015 through 2019): -1.5%
Definition: Percent of a cohort of students or graduates that passed a state or national licensure examination. This measure is a weighted average pass rate and currently includes three licensing exams: nursing, peace officer and radiography.
Graduate Placement Rate
Related Employment Rate by Award Type
| Award Type | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA/AS/AFA | 94% | 92% | 90% | 97% | 100% |
| AAS | 92% | 92% | 91% | 94% | 93% |
| Diploma/Certificate | 91% | 94% | 91% | 92% | 97% |
| Total | 92% | 92% | 92% | 94% | 96% |
Percent Change (fiscal year 2017 - 2021): AA/AS/AFA 6%, AAS 1%, diploma/certificate 6%, total for all degrees 4%
Continuing Education Rate by Award Type
| Award Type | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA/AS/AFA | 52% | 50% | 56% | 63% | 60% |
| AAS | 16% | 15% | 15% | 17% | 15% |
| Diploma/Certificate | 30% | 24% | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Total | 35% | 33% | 35% | 36% | 36% |
Percent Change (fiscal year 2017 - 2021): AA/AS/AFA 8%, AAS -1%, diploma/certificate -7%, total for all degrees 1%
Related Employment by Major
| Major | Award | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | AAS | 100% | 90% | 100% | 94% | 88% |
| Accounting Clerk | Diploma | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Accounting Transfer Pathway (formerly Accounting AS) | AS | 100% | 50% | 67% | N/A | 100% |
| Administrative Assistant - Finance | Certificate | N | N/A | N/A | 100% | 100% |
| Administrative Assistant - Human Resources | Certificate | N | N/A | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Administrative Assistant - Legal | Certificate | N | N/A | N/A | 100% | |
| Administrative Support | Diploma | 100% | N/A | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Advanced HVAC (formerly Commercial Refrigeration) | Diploma | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| American Sign Language Studies | Certificate | 100% | N/A | 67% | 0% | N/A |
| Architectural Drafting | Diploma | 100% | 100% | |||
| Architectural Drafting and Design | AAS | 100% | 67% | 100% | 100% | |
| Art Transfer Pathway (formerly Visual Arts AFA) | AFA | 100% | N/A | N/A | 100% | |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder | Certificate | N | N | 100% | N/A | |
| Automotive Service Technology | AAS | 100% | 100% | 100% | 75% | 100% |
| Automotive Service Technology | Diploma | 82% | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% |
| Biology Transfer Pathway (formerly Biological Sciences AS) | AS | 100% | 0% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Business Administration | AAS | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | N/A |
| Business Entrepreneurship | AAS | 100% | 100% | 50% | N/A | 100% |
| Business Entrepreneurship | Diploma | N/A | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Business: Management, Marketing and Sales | AAS | 94% | 93% | 90% | 96% |
88% |
| Business: Marketing and Sales | Diploma | 100% | 80% | 100% | 100% | N/A |
| Business Transfer Pathway (formerly Business AS) | AS | 88% | 100% | 75% | N/A | 100% |
| Cardiovascular Technology Invasive | AAS | N | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Chemistry | AS | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
| Child and Adolescent Therapeutic Behavioral Health (formerly Mental Health Behavioral Aide II) | Certificate | N/A | 100% | 50% | N/A | N/A |
| Cisco Networking | Certificate | 100% | 100% | N/A | 100% | |
| Civil Engineering Technology | AAS | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Computer Programming | AAS | 100% | 71% | 78% | 100% | 100% |
| Construction Managment | AAS | 100% | 100% | 91% | 90% | 100% |
| Correctional Officer | Certificate | 91% | 50% | N/A | ||
| Cosmetology | Diploma | 100% | 100% | 89% | 100% | 100% |
| Cosmetology - North Dakota | Certificate | N/A | ||||
| Criminal Justice | AS | 100% | 80% | 70% | 67% | 100% |
| Culinary Arts (formerly Fundamentals of Culinary Arts) | Diploma | 100% | 100% | 88% | 100% | 100% |
| Cybersecurity (formerly Network Administration and Security) | AAS | 100% | 90% | 100% | 100% | 50% |
| Cybersecurity (formerly Network Security) | Certificate | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||
| Dental Assisting | AAS | 86% | 100% | 95% | 100% | 100% |
| Dental Assisting | Diploma | N/A | 85% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Dental Hygiene | AAS | 94% | 89% | 93% | 94% | 100% |
| Diesel Equipment Technology | AAS | 100% | 100% | 100% | 93% | 80% |
| Diesel Equipment Technology | Diploma | 100% | 100% | |||
| Digital Marketing | AAS | N | N | N | 67% | |
| Drafting and 3D Technologies | AAS | 67% | 100% | 100% | 71% | 100% |
| Early Childhood | Certificate | N | N | 100% | 100% | |
| Early Childhood and paraprofessional Education | AS | 100% | 100% | 100% | 67% | 100% |
| Electrical Lineworker Technolgoy | AAS | 93% | 92% | 100% | 89% | 100% |
| Electrical Lineworker Technology | Diploma | 94% | 96% | 77% | 81% | 92% |
| Electrical Technology | Diploma | 100% | 96% | 95% | 98% | 94% |
| Engineering | AS | N/A | 100% | 100% | 100% | N/A |
| Entrepreneur Essentials | Certificate | N/A | 100% | N/A | ||
| Entrepreneurship | Certificate | N/A | 100% | |||
| Environmental Science | AS | 0% | 100% | 0% | ||
| Esthetician | Certificate | N/A | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Graphic Design | Certificate | 100% | N/A | 100% | ||
| Graphic Design Technology | Diploma | N | N | 86% | 100% | |
| Health Information Technology/Coding | AAS | 73% | 94% | 100% | 93% | 95% |
| Human Resources | AAS | 79% | 80% | 73% | 92% | 75% |
| Human Resources | AS | 50% | 86% | 89% | 100% | 100% |
| HVAC - Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology | Diploma | 100% | 100% | 100% | 93% | 100% |
| Individual Studies | AAS | N/A | 100% | |||
| Information Technology | AAS | 100% | 100% | 75% | 100% | 88% |
| Information Technology | AS | 83% | 83% | 60% | 100% | 100% |
| Information Technology - Database Administration | AAS | N | 100% | |||
| IT Systems Support | AAS | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | AA | 92% | 86% | 92% | 98% | 100% |
| Limited Scope Radiography | Diploma | N | N | N | 100% | |
| Massage Therapy | Diploma | 100% | 100% | 100% | 80% | 100% |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | AAS | 83% | 100% | 70% | 100% | 80% |
| Medical Assistant | Diploma | N | 100% | 100% | ||
| Medical Coding and Insurance | Diploma | 64% | 77% | 67% | 100% | 60% |
| Medical Laboratory Technlogy | AAS | 100% | 75% | 100% | ||
| Medical Laboratory Technology | AS | 100% | 100% | 50% | 100% | N/A |
| Medical Office Assistant | Diploma | 50% | 100% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Medical Receptionist | Diploma | 100% | 50% | 100% | N/A | N/A |
| Music | AFA | 100% | N/A | 0% | ||
| Nail Technician | Certificate | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||
| Nursing | AS | 98% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Paralegal | AAS | 75% | 100% | 75% | 50% | 67% |
| Payroll Specialist | Diploma | 100% | 100% | 100% | 93% | 100% |
| Phlebotomy Technician | Certificate | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Plumbing Technology | Diploma | 100% | 0% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Political Science Transfer Pathway | AA | N | N | N/A | N/A | |
| PowerSports Technology | AAS | N | N | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| PowerSports Technology | Diploma | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Practical Nursing | Diploma | 100% | 96% | 97% | 96% | 100% |
| Professional Sales Skills | Certificate | 80% | 75% | 100% | ||
| Psychology Transfer Pathway | AA | N | N/A | 100% | N/A | |
| Radiologic Technology | AAS | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Sports Management | AS | N | N | N/A | ||
| Surgical Technology | AAS | 100% | 100% | 86% | 100% | 100% |
| Survey Technician | Certificate | N | 100% | N/A | ||
| Web Design | Certificate | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| COLLEGE TOTAL | 92% | 92% | 91% | 94% | 96% |
2021 data is the most recent publishable data as our graduates have one year to obtain employment prior to our surveying them to gather their employment information.
Definitions: 'N/A' graduates continuing education or not seeking related employment; 'N' program not yet developed.
Additional information for closed programs can be found in the related reports.
Related Reports
M State Academic Year 2019 Graduate Placement Report
M State Academic Year 2020 Graduate Placement Report
M State Academic Year 2021 Graduate Placement Report
M State Graduate Placement History 2017-2021
Additional Information
Visit the M State Careers website for more information on career services the college has available for students, alumni and employers.