Do Students Succeed at Diablo Valley College?
Discover how students at Diablo Valley College progress — from enrollment through completion, transfer, and beyond.
Student Success at Diablo Valley College at a Glance
Diablo Valley College is a public institution offering at least 2 but less than 4 years programs located in Pleasant Hill, CA. Current enrollment is 17,228 students.
- 49.1% overall graduation rate (IPEDS)
- 35.2% of all entering students earn their award within 8 years
- 3,369 graduates across 181 programs in 2025
College-Wide Statistics · IPEDS Federal Survey
What Are the Student Outcomes at Diablo Valley College?
The figures below cover all students at Diablo Valley College, tracked over eight years by the federal IPEDS survey.
Overall Completion Rate
35.2%
Working Student Success
34.2%
Transfer Out Rate
26.3%
Still Enrolled Rate
1.3%
How Diablo Valley College Compares
A 35% completion rate at Diablo Valley College is consistent with how most trade colleges perform. With 1% still enrolled, the picture is one of steady but incomplete progression — common in programs that mix full-time students with part-time learners working alongside their studies.
What Happens After Students Enroll at Diablo Valley College?
Eight-Year Student Outcomes
Eight-year outcomes for students who entered Diablo Valley College. This shows what happened to students in their cohort by the end of the tracking period.
Understanding These Outcomes
Completed: Students who earned a certificate, diploma, or degree from this institution.
Still Enrolled: Students who remain enrolled at this institution after the tracking period.
Transferred Out: Students who transferred to another institution and may have completed there.
No Award: Students who left without earning a credential and are not enrolled elsewhere.
Combined completion and transfer rate of 46.9% indicates strong student success pathways.
These outcomes track what happened to students eight years after they first enrolled. Completion rates include certificates, diplomas, and degrees earned at this institution. Transfer rates show students who continued their education at other colleges. Understanding these pathways helps prospective students set realistic expectations and plan their educational journey.
What Are the Transfer and Continuation Patterns at Diablo Valley College?
Success Rates by Student Entry Pathway
Comparing completion rates across different student entry pathways helps understand which groups succeed and how transfer experience impacts outcomes.
Key Insights
First-time students have an advantage of 25.0 percentage points over transfer students, which may reflect the benefits of starting fresh at the institution.
Combined 25.5% transfer-out rate suggests this institution may serve as a stepping stone for students continuing their education elsewhere.
Cohort Composition
Understanding Student Pathways
First-Time Students: Beginning postsecondary education for the first time at this institution.
Transfer-In Students: Previously attended another postsecondary institution before enrolling here.
Continuing Students: Returned to this institution after a break in enrollment.
Completion rates tracked over 8 years from initial entry.
Different student entry pathways lead to varying success rates. First-time students enter directly from high school or are starting college for the first time. Transfer students bring prior college experience and credits. Understanding these patterns helps you identify which pathway aligns best with your situation and predict your likelihood of success.
What Are the Completion Rates by Student Type at Diablo Valley College?
What does this mean for you? These completion rates show how different types of students succeed at this institution. Full-time students have a higher completion rate (37%) compared to part-time students (34.2%). Consider your work and life commitments when deciding on your enrollment status. First-time students are those new to college, while transfer students have attended another institution before.
What Are the Cohort Outcomes Over Time at Diablo Valley College?
Tracking outcomes for the 2015-16 cohort of 7,105 students
After 4 Years
After 6 Years
After 8 Years (Final)
Final Student Status
Completion Breakdown by Cohort
Part-time First-time Students
All First-time Students
Full-time First-time Students
All Full-time Students
Full-time Non-first-time Students
All First-time Transfer Students
Part-time First-time Transfer Students
All Non-first-time Students
Time to Completion
About This Data
Outcome measures data tracks student cohorts over 4, 6, and 8-year periods. Data is sourced from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reflects the most recent available reporting year.