Student Retention, Persistence and Graduation

Retention Rates
Fall-to-Spring (1 term) Retention Rate (First-Time and Transfer Students; 5 years combined)

  • 78% of Bachelor’s-seeking students entering in the fall semester returned the following spring
  • 73% of Associate-seeking students entering in the fall semester returned the following spring

Fall-to-Fall (1 Year) Retention Rate (First-time and Transfer Students; 5 years combined)

  • 61% of Bachelor’s-seeking students in the fall semester returned the following fall
  • 45% of Associate-seeking students in the fall semester returned the following fall

Graduation Rates

Fall 2018 First-time, Full-time entering Cohort (IPEDS)

  • Overall Graduation Rate (Bachelor’s, Associates and Certificate Students)
    • 27% of all F’18 First-time, Full-time Degree/Certificate-seeking students completed a degree within 150% of normal time.
  • Bachelor’s Graduation Rate
    • 26% of all F’18 First-time, Full-time Bachelor’s-seeking students completed a bachelor’s degree within 150% of normal time.
  • Overall Transfer-out Rate
    • 21% of all F’18 First-time, Full-time Degree/Certificate-seeking Students transferred to another institution within 150% of normal time.

2023-24 Degrees Awarded

  • 88% of the Bachelor’s/Post-Bachelor’s awarded last year were earned within 6 years (150% of normal time)
  • 81% of Associates awarded last year were earned within 3 years (150% of normal time)

The Student Achievement Measure

The Student Achievement Measure (SAM) tracks student progress and completion across higher education. Also, SAM includes a larger percentage of students than the traditional federal graduation rate of only first-time, full-time students at UMA. The first-time, full-time student cohort traditionally only accounts for about 10% of all incoming students in a fall semester.

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

NSSE collects information at hundreds of four-year colleges and universities about first-year and senior students’ participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development.

Student Course Completion Rates

  • 84% average course completion rate (Grades A thru C-, Pass, Audit / All Grades) for all degree/certificate and non-degree-seeking enrolled students in 2023-24 (Summer ’23, Fall ’23, Spring ’24)

Statistics updated March, 2025
UMA Office of Institutional Research and Assessment