NOTE: Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. The retention rate is the percentage of first-time, bachelor’s degree-seeking students who return to the institution to continue their studies the following year, in this case Fall 2009. The overall graduation rate is the percentage of full-time, first-time students who graduated within 150 percent of normal program completion time, in this case by Fall 2008 for the cohort that enrolled in 4-year institutions in Fall 2002 and for the students that enrolled in 2-year institutions in Fall 2005. For more information on IPEDS, see supplemental note 3. Institutions in this indicator are based on the highest degree offered. For more information on the classification of postsecondary institutions, see supplemental note 8.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2009 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Spring 2010.