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Postsecondary Education

Postsecondary Outcomes for Nontraditional and Traditional Undergraduate Students

Last Updated: May 2024
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For students who entered 2-year postsecondary institutions in 2014–15, Pell Grant recipients had higher overall completion rates (32 vs. 30 percent) and lower transfer rates (22 vs. 29 percent) than nonrecipients 8 years after entry. In contrast, Pell Grant recipients who entered 4-year postsecondary institutions in 2014–15 had lower overall completion rates (47 vs. 58 percent) and higher transfer rates (23 vs. 20 percent) than nonrecipients 8 years after entry.
College graduation and retention rates often focus on first-time, full-time undergraduate students (see Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Rates). Those measures, however, do not fully capture the experiences of students who do not fit the profile of a “traditional” undergraduate student. Examples of “nontraditional” students include those who enroll part time, transfer between institutions, or leave postsecondary education temporarily but later enroll again. Data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) shed light on the outcomes of both nontraditional and traditional students in higher education.1
The Outcome Measures component of IPEDS collects information on whether students completed an award (i.e., certificate, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree) 4, 6, and 8 years after entering the reporting institution.2, 3, 4 At the 8-year mark, the collection measures whether students (a) completed an award at their reporting institution, (b) remained enrolled at their reporting institution, (c) subsequently enrolled at (transferred to) a different postsecondary institution, or (d) were no longer enrolled at their reporting institution and had not completed a credential at their reporting institution. The final category includes students who dropped out or subsequently enrolled at another institution (transferred) but did not notify their reporting institution. This indicator includes outcomes for the 2014–15 entry cohort as of August 31, 2022, which was 8 years after students entered the reporting institution. The 8-year reporting period covers at least 200 percent of the normal time to degree completion for both full- and part-time students at both 2-year and 4-year institutions.
To better describe outcomes for nontraditional college students, the IPEDS Outcome Measures data are collected for four student groups, differentiated by entering status (first-time or non-first-time5 student) and attendance status (full-time or part-time student):
  • first-time, full-time students
  • first-time, part-time students
  • non-first-time, full-time students
  • non-first-time, part-time students
In addition, IPEDS Outcome Measures data are collected for students who received Pell Grants and those who did not. The federal Pell Grant program provides need-based financial aid to eligible students, and Pell Grant recipients represent a subset of lower income students within the general undergraduate population. This indicator examines how completion, transfer,6 and enrollment rates vary among these different student groups.

Select a subgroup characteristic from the drop-down menu below to view relevant text and figures.

Level of institution
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All available findings Acceptance rate Control of institution Full-time/Part-time Grade level/Student level Socioeconomic status (SES) Time series
Figure 1. Percentage distribution of undergraduate students’ entering and attendance status, by level of institution: 2009–10 and 2014–15 entry cohorts
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NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data are for degree-granting institutions, which grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Data for the 2014–15 cohort include U.S. service academies. The 2009–10 entry cohort includes all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010. The 2014–15 entry cohort includes all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. The cohort is adjusted to exclude students who died or were totally and permanently disabled as well as students who left school to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty), to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government (e.g., the Peace Corps), or to serve on official church missions. Entering status (first-time or non-first-time student) and attendance status (full-time or part-time student) are based on the first full term (i.e., semester or quarter) after the student entered the institution. First-time students are those who had never attended a postsecondary institution prior to their entry into the reporting institution. For the 2014–15 cohort, first-time students include students enrolled in academic or occupational programs, students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits or recognized postsecondary credential earned before graduation from high school). Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Winter 2017–18 and 2022–23 (provisional data), Outcome Measures component; and IPEDS Fall 2009 and 2015 (final data), Institutional Characteristics component. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 326.27, and Digest of Education Statistics 2018, table 326.27.

Of the 6.4 million students who entered a postsecondary institution in 2014–15, some 2.7 million (41 percent) were first-time, full-time students. The remaining 3.8 million (59 percent) were not first-time, full-time students and were thus not included in traditional graduation and retention rates collected in IPEDS. In comparison, 9.2 million students entered a postsecondary institution in 2009–10, and 6.0 million (66 percent) of them were not first-time, full-time students. Specifically, as a percentage of entering students,
  • 41 percent were first-time, full-time students in 2014–15, compared with 34 percent in 2009–10;
  • 14 percent were first-time, part-time students in 2014–15, compared with 13 percent in 2009–10;
  • 23 percent were non-first-time, full-time students in both 2014–15 and 2009–10; and
  • 21 percent were non-first-time, part-time students in 2014–15, compared with 30 percent in 2009–10.
These data show that the 2014–15 entry cohort included a higher percentage of first-time, full-time students (41 percent) than in the 2009–10 entry cohort (34 percent) and a lower percentage of non-first-time, part-time students (21 percent) than in the 2009–10 entry cohort (30 percent). The number of students in each of the four entering and attendance status groups was lower in 2014–15 than in 2009–10. These differences ranged from 15 percent lower for first-time, full-time students to 51 percent lower for non-first-time, part-time students. [Time series ] [Full-time/Part-time ]
At 2-year institutions, the 2014–15 entry cohort had 49 percent fewer students than the 2009–10 entry cohort (2.4 million vs. 4.7 million). Among the 2014–15 entry cohort,
  • 34 percent were first-time, full-time students, 9 percentage points higher than 2009–10;
  • 25 percent were first-time, part-time students, 7 percentage points higher than 2009–10;
  • 16 percent were non-first-time, full-time students, 2 percentage points lower than 2009–10; and
  • 26 percent were non-first-time, part-time students, 14 percentage points lower than 2009–10.
A higher percentage of students at 2-year institutions were first-time students in 2014–15 than in 2009–10 (58 vs. 42 percent). [Time series ] [Full-time/Part-time ]
At 4-year institutions, the 2014–15 entry cohort had 10 percent fewer students than the 2009–10 entry cohort (4.0 million vs. 4.5 million). Among the 2014–15 entry cohort,
  • 46 percent were first-time, full-time students, 2 percentage points higher than 2009–10;
  • 8 percent were first-time, part-time students, less than one-half of 1 percentage point lower than 2009–10;
  • 28 percent were non-first-time, full-time students, less than one-half of 1 percentage point lower than 2009–10; and
  • 18 percent were non-first-time, part-time students, 2 percentage points lower than 2009–10.
The percentage of students in each entering and attendance status group at 4-year institutions differed by 2 percentage points or less between the 2009–10 and 2014–15 entry cohorts. [Time series ] [Full-time/Part-time ]
The number of students in each entering and attendance status group also differed by control of institution (public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit). Among the 2014–15 entry cohort, first-time, full-time students made up
  • 56 percent of students at private nonprofit institutions;
  • 40 percent of students at public institutions; and
  • 28 percent of students at private for-profit institutions.
[Full-time/Part-time ] [Control of institution]
Postsecondary Outcomes 4, 6, and 8 Years After Entry
Figure 2. Percent of adjusted cohort who completed an award 4, 6, and 8 years after cohort entry, by level of institution: 2009–10 and 2014–15 entry cohorts
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NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data are for degree-granting institutions, which grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Data for the 2014–15 cohort include U.S. service academies. Student completion status is determined as of August 31 of the year indicated; for example, within 8 years after the student’s 2014–15 entry into the reporting institution means by August 31, 2022. Includes only those awards that were conferred by the reporting institution (i.e., the institution that the student entered the year of their entry cohort); excludes awards conferred by institutions to which the student later transferred. The 2009–10 entry cohort includes all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010. The 2014–15 entry cohort includes all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. The cohort is adjusted to exclude students who died or were totally and permanently disabled as well as students who left school to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty), to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government (e.g., the Peace Corps), or to serve on official church missions. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Winter 2017–18 and 2022–23 (provisional data), Outcome Measures component; and IPEDS Fall 2009 and 2015 (final data), Institutional Characteristics component. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 326.27, and Digest of Education Statistics 2018, table 326.27.

IPEDS measures completion rates 4, 6, and 8 years after cohort entry. The overall completion rate is the percentage of students in the cohort who earned an award (i.e., certificate, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree) at each status point.
At 2-year institutions, the completion rates for the 2014–15 entry cohort were
  • 26 percent within 4 years after entry;
  • 29 percent within 6 years after entry; and
  • 31 percent within 8 years after entry.
At each time point after cohort entry, the completion rate for the 2014–15 cohort was 4 percentage points higher than for the 2009–10 cohort. [Time series ]
At 4-year institutions, the completion rates for the 2014–15 entry cohort were
  • 42 percent within 4 years after entry;
  • 52 percent within 6 years after entry; and
  • 53 percent within 8 years after entry.
At each time point after cohort entry, the completion rate for the 2014–15 cohort was 6 percentage points higher than for the 2009–10 cohort. [Time series ]
For the 2014–15 and 2009–10 entry cohorts at both 2- and 4-year institutions, completion rates were higher for the two groups of full-time students 4 years after entry than for the two groups of part-time students 8 years after entry. For example, for the 2014–15 cohort at 2-year institutions, the completion rate for first-time, full-time students within 4 years (34 percent) was higher than the completion rate for first-time, part-time students within 8 years (20 percent). Among part-time students, completion rates were higher for non-first-time students than for first-time students. [Time series ] [Full-time/Part-time ]
Postsecondary Outcomes for Undergraduates at 2-Year Institutions
Figure 3. Percentage distribution of students’ postsecondary outcomes at 2-year institutions 8 years after the cohort entry year, by entering and attendance status: 2009–10 and 2014–15 entry cohorts
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1 Includes only those awards that were conferred by the reporting institution (i.e., the institution the student entered in the year of their entry cohort); excludes awards conferred by institutions to which the student later transferred.

2 Transfer out data are required to be reported, regardless of whether the institution has transfer-preparation as part of its mission. The actual transfer rate (including students who transferred but did not notify their initial institution) may be higher.

3 Includes students who dropped out of the reporting institution and students who transferred to another institution without notifying the reporting institution.

NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data are for degree-granting institutions, which grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Student enrollment status and completion status are determined as of August 31 of the year indicated; for example, within 8 years after the student’s 2014–15 entry into the reporting institution means by August 31, 2022. The 2009–10 entry cohort includes all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010. The 2014–15 entry cohort includes all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. The cohort is adjusted to exclude students who died or were totally and permanently disabled as well as students who left school to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty), to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government (e.g., the Peace Corps), or to serve on official church missions. Attendance status (full-time or part-time student) and entering status (first-time or non-first-time student) are based on the first full term (i.e., semester or quarter) after the student entered the institution. First-time students are those who had never attended a postsecondary institution prior to their cohort year entry into the reporting institution. For the 2014–15 cohort, first-time students include students enrolled in academic or occupational programs, students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits or recognized postsecondary credential earned before graduation from high school). Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Winter 2017–18 and 2022–23 (provisional data), Outcome Measures component; and IPEDS Fall 2009 and 2015 (final data), Institutional Characteristics component. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 326.27, and Digest of Education Statistics 2018, table 326.27.

Eight years after entry, overall completion rates for students who entered 2-year institutions in 2014–15 varied among the four student groups discussed in this indicator. Overall completion rates for the 2014–15 entry cohort were nearly twice as high among full-time students as among part-time students, regardless of first-time entering status. Specifically, completion rates were
  • 39 percent for first-time, full-time students, including 28 percent who completed an associate’s or higher degree;
  • 20 percent for first-time, part-time students, including 14 percent who completed an associate’s or higher degree;
  • 43 percent for non-first-time, full-time students, including 30 percent who completed an associate’s or higher degree; and
  • 23 percent for non-first-time, part-time students, including 18 percent who completed an associate’s or higher degree.
[Grade level/Student level] [Full-time/Part-time ]
Transfer rates for the 2014–15 cohort 8 years after entering 2-year institutions were highest for non-first-time, part-time students. Specifically, transfer rates were
  • 21 percent for first-time, full-time students;
  • 22 percent for first-time, part-time students;
  • 25 percent for non-first-time, full-time students; and
  • 37 percent for non-first-time, part-time students.
[Full-time/Part-time ]
The percentage of students in the 2014–15 cohort who remained enrolled at their reporting 2-year institution 8 years after entry was 2 percent or less for each group. Finally, the percentage of students whose enrollment status was unknown 8 years after entry ranged from 31 percent for non-first-time, full-time students to 56 percent for first-time, part-time students. [Full-time/Part-time ]
For students at 2-year institutions with the same entering and attendance status, their completion, transfer, and enrollment status outcome rates all differed by less than 5 percentage points between the 2009–10 entry cohort and the 2014–15 entry cohort. For example, completion rates were higher for students who entered 2-year institutions in 2014–15 than for those who entered in 2009–10 by 2 to 3 percentage points. [Time series ] [Full-time/Part-time ]
Figure 4. Percentage distribution of students’ postsecondary outcomes 8 years after beginning at 2-year institutions, by Pell Grant recipient status of student: 2014–15 entry cohort
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1 Includes only those awards that were conferred by the reporting institution (i.e., the institution the student entered in 2014–15); excludes awards conferred by institutions to which the student later transferred.

2 Associate’s or higher degree includes associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees.

3 Transfer out data are required to be reported, regardless of whether the institution has transfer-preparation as part of its mission. The actual transfer rate (including students who transferred but did not notify their initial institution) may be higher.

4 Includes students who dropped out of the reporting institution and students who transferred to another institution without notifying the reporting institution.

NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data are for degree-granting institutions, which grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Students who received a Pell Grant had a disbursed Pell Grant during their first year at the reporting institution. Student enrollment status and completion status are determined as of August 31 of the year indicated; for example, within 8 years after the student’s 2014–15 entry into the reporting institution means by August 31, 2022. The 2014–15 cohort includes all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. The cohort is adjusted to exclude students who died or were totally and permanently disabled as well as students who left school to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty), to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government (e.g., the Peace Corps), or to serve on official church missions. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Winter 2022–23 (provisional data), Outcome Measures component; and IPEDS Fall 2015 (final data), Institutional Characteristics component. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 326.27.

At 2-year institutions, completion, transfer, and enrollment status outcome rates 8 years after entry for the 2014–15 cohort varied by Pell Grant recipient status. The overall completion rate from 2-year institutions was 2 percentage points higher for Pell Grant recipients than for nonrecipients (32 vs. 30 percent). A higher percentage of Pell Grant recipients earned both certificates (9 vs. 8 percent) and associate’s or higher degrees (23 vs. 22 percent). Meanwhile, the transfer rate from 2-year institutions was 7 percentage points lower for Pell Grant recipients than for nonrecipients (22 vs. 29 percent). [Socioeconomic status (SES) ]
Compared to the 2009–10 entry cohort, a higher percentage of Pell Grant nonrecipients in the 2014–15 entry cohort completed an award (30 vs. 24 percent) and a lower percentage transferred out (29 vs. 32 percent). For Pell Grant recipients, these differences in completion and transfer rates between cohorts were 1 percentage point or less. [Time series ] [Socioeconomic status (SES) ]
Postsecondary Outcomes for Undergraduates at 4-Year Institutions
Figure 5. Percentage distribution of students’ postsecondary outcomes 8 years after beginning at 4-year institutions in the cohort entry year, by entering and attendance status: 2009–10 and 2014–15 entry cohorts
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1 Includes only those awards that were conferred by the reporting institution (i.e., the institution the student entered in the year of their entry cohort); excludes awards conferred by institutions to which the student later transferred.

2 Transfer out data are required to be reported, regardless of whether the institution has transfer-preparation as part of its mission. The actual transfer rate (including students who transferred but did not notify their initial institution) may be higher.

3 Includes students who dropped out of the reporting institution and students who transferred to another institution without notifying the reporting institution.

NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data are for degree-granting institutions, which grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Data for the 2014–15 cohort include U.S. service academies. Student enrollment status and completion status are determined as of August 31 of the year indicated; for example, within 8 years after the student’s 2014–15 entry into the reporting institution means by August 31, 2022. The 2009–10 entry cohort includes all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010. The 2014–15 entry cohort includes all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. The cohort is adjusted to exclude students who died or were totally and permanently disabled as well as students who left school to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty), to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government (e.g., the Peace Corps), or to serve on official church missions. Attendance status (full-time or part-time student) and entering status (first-time or non-first-time student) are based on the first full term (i.e., semester or quarter) after the student entered the institution. First-time students are those who had never attended a postsecondary institution prior to their cohort year entry into the reporting institution. For the 2014–15 cohort, first-time students include students enrolled in academic or occupational programs, students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits or recognized postsecondary credential earned before graduation from high school). Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Winter 2017–18 and 2022–23 (provisional data), Outcome Measures component; and IPEDS Fall 2009 and 2015 (final data), Institutional Characteristics component. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 326.27, and Digest of Education Statistics 2018, table 326.27.

At 4-year institutions, completion, transfer, and enrollment status outcome rates for the 2014–15 cohort 8 years after entry varied among the four entering and attendance status groups discussed in this indicator. Overall completion rates for the 2014–15 cohort were higher among the two groups of full-time students than among the two groups of part-time students; however, this gap was smaller between non-first-time students than between first-time students. Specifically, completion rates for the 2014–15 cohort 8 years after entering 4-year institutions were
  • 61 percent for first-time, full-time students, including 55 percent who completed a bachelor’s degree;
  • 22 percent for first-time, part-time students, including 6 percent who completed a bachelor’s degree;
  • 61 percent for non-first-time, full-time students, including 52 percent who completed a bachelor’s degree; and
  • 38 percent for non-first-time, part-time students, including 26 percent who completed a bachelor’s degree.
[Grade level/Student level] [Full-time/Part-time ]
Transfer rates for the 2014–15 cohort 8 years after entering 4-year institutions were highest for non-first-time, part-time students (27 percent), indicating that some students make multiple transfers throughout their postsecondary education. Specifically, transfer rates for the 2014–15 entry cohort were
  • 21 percent for first-time, full-time students;
  • 24 percent for first-time, part-time students;
  • 18 percent for non-first-time, full-time students; and
  • 27 percent for non-first-time, part-time students.
[Full-time/Part-time ]
The percentage of students in the 2014–15 cohort who remained enrolled at their reporting 4-year institution 8 years after entry was 2 percent or less of students in each group. The percentage of students whose enrollment status was unknown 8 years after entry was highest for first-time, part-time students (52 percent), followed by non-first-time, part-time students (34 percent), non-first-time, full-time students (21 percent), and first-time, full-time students (17 percent). [Full-time/Part-time ]
At 4-year institutions, completion rates 8 years after entry were higher for students who entered in 2014–15 than for those who entered in 2009–10 in each of the four entering and attendance groups, ranging from 4 percentage points higher for non-first-time, full-time students to 7 percentage points higher for first-time, full-time students. Meanwhile, the percentage of students whose enrollment status was unknown 8 years after entry was lower for each group for the 2014–15 cohort than for the 2009–10 cohort. [Time series ] [Full-time/Part-time ]
Figure 6. Percentage distribution of students’ postsecondary outcomes 8 years after beginning at 4-year institutions, by institution admissions policy and Pell Grant recipient status of student: 2014–15 entry cohort
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# Rounds to zero.

1 Includes only those awards that were conferred by the reporting institution (i.e., the institution the student entered in 2014–15); excludes awards conferred by institutions to which the student later transferred.

2 Lower than a bachelor’s degree includes certificates and associate’s degrees.

3 Transfer out data are required to be reported, regardless of whether the institution has transfer-preparation as part of its mission. The actual transfer rate (including students who transferred but did not notify their initial institution) may be higher.

4 Includes students who dropped out of the reporting institution and students who transferred to another institution without notifying the reporting institution.

NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data are for degree-granting institutions, which grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs, and U.S. service academies. Students who received a Pell Grant had a disbursed Pell Grant during their first year at the reporting institution. Student enrollment status and completion status are determined as of August 31 of the year indicated; for example, within 8 years after the student’s 2014–15 entry into the reporting institution means by August 31, 2022. The 2014–15 cohort includes all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015. The cohort is adjusted to exclude students who died or were totally and permanently disabled as well as students who left school to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty), to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government (e.g., the Peace Corps), or to serve on official church missions. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Winter 2022–23 (provisional data), Outcome Measures component; and IPEDS Fall 2015 (final data), Institutional Characteristics component. See Digest of Education Statistics 2023, table 326.27.

At 4-year institutions, completion, transfer, and enrollment status outcome rates 8 years after entry for the 2014–15 cohort varied by Pell Grant recipient status and institution admissions policy. Unlike at 2-year institutions, Pell Grant recipients had lower overall completion rates (47 vs. 58 percent) and higher transfer rates (23 vs. 20 percent) than nonrecipients 8 years after entry. [Socioeconomic status (SES) ]
Compared to the 2009–10 entry cohort, a higher percentage of Pell Grant nonrecipients in the 2014–15 entry cohort completed an award (58 vs. 51 percent) and a lower percentage transferred (20 vs. 22 percent). For those who did receive Pell Grants, higher percentages in 2014–15 than in 2009–10 completed an award (47 vs. 42 percent) and transferred (23 vs. 21 percent). [Time series ] [Socioeconomic status (SES) ]
Completion rates for the 2014–15 entry cohort were higher at 4-year institutions without open admissions policies than at those with open admissions policies, which mainly reflected higher rates of completing bachelor’s degrees. Bachelor’s completion rates were 10 percent for both Pell Grant recipients and nonrecipients at institutions with open admissions policies. In comparison, bachelor’s completion rates were greater than 50 percent for both Pell Grant recipients and nonrecipients at institutions without open admissions policies (ranging from 52 percent for Pell Grant recipients at institutions that accepted 50 percent or more of students to 78 percent for nonrecipients at institutions that accepted less than 50 percent of students). Meanwhile, the percentage of students who completed a certificate or associate’s degree was more than seven times higher at institutions with open admissions policies than at institutions without open admissions policies. [Socioeconomic status (SES) ] [Acceptance rate]
While overall completion rates were higher at institutions without open admissions policies, the gap in completion rates between Pell Grant recipients and nonrecipients was also greater at these institutions. At all levels of selectivity, overall completion rates were higher for Pell Grant nonrecipients than recipients. Specifically, the gap in overall completion rates between these groups was
  • 1 percentage point at institutions with open admissions policies (33 vs. 32 percent);
  • 11 percentage points at institutions that accepted 50 percent or more of students (65 vs. 54 percent); and
  • 15 percentage points at institutions that accepted less than 50 percent of students (79 vs. 64 percent).
[Socioeconomic status (SES) ] [Acceptance rate]

1 For general technical notes related to data analysis, data interpretation, rounding, and other considerations, please refer to the Reader’s Guide.

2 The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) defines a cohort as all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who entered a degree-granting institution between July 1 of a given year and June 30 of the following year. The cohort is adjusted to exclude students who died or were totally and permanently disabled as well as students who left school to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty), to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government (e.g., the Peace Corps), or to serve on official church missions. This indicator focuses primarily on the cohort entering between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015, referred to as the 2014–15 entering cohort.

3 Includes only those awards that were conferred by the reporting institution (e.g., the institution that a 2014–15 entry cohort student entered in 2014–15); excludes awards conferred by institutions to which the student later transferred.

4 Completion rate 8 years after entry is defined as the percentage of the entry cohort who completed an award at their entry institution at any time between the start of the entry year and 8 years after. For example, the completion rate 8 years after entry for the 2014–15 entry cohort is the percentage of the cohort that completed an award at the institution they entered in 2014–15 at any time between July 1, 2014 and August 31, 2022.

5 Refers to students who had previously enrolled at a different postsecondary institution (not as a high school student) before enrolling at the IPEDS reporting institution as a degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate student.

6 Throughout the indicator, “transfer rate” for an entering cohort refers to the percentage of students who were known to have subsequently enrolled at another institution. The actual transfer rate (including students who transferred but did not notify their reporting institution) may be higher.

Supplemental Information

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Table 326.27 (Digest 2023): Number of degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering a postsecondary institution and percentage of students 4, 6, and 8 years after entry, by completion and enrollment status at the same institution, institution level and control, attendance level and status, Pell Grant recipient status, and acceptance rate: Cohort entry year 2014-15;
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Table 326.27 (Digest 2018): Number of degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering a postsecondary institution and percentage of students 4, 6, and 8 years after entry, by completion and enrollment status at the same institution, institution level and control, attendance level and status, Pell Grant recipient status, and acceptance rate: Cohort entry year 2009
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Entering students (undergraduate) First-time, full-time students Full-time enrollment Part-time enrollment Postsecondary education Postsecondary institutions (basic classification by level) Private institution Public school or institution Undergraduate students
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Suggested Citation

National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Postsecondary Outcomes for Nontraditional and Traditional Undergraduate Students. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ctu.
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