Do Students Succeed at Normandale Community College?
How do students at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, MN fare? Explore completion rates, transfers, and key outcomes.
Student Success at Normandale Community College at a Glance
Normandale Community College is a public institution offering at least 2 but less than 4 years programs located in Bloomington, MN. Current enrollment is 11,026 students.
- 27% overall graduation rate (IPEDS)
- 24.1% of all entering students earn their award within 8 years
- 72% of exiters from its largest program (Communication Studies Transfer Pathway) were employed within 6 months — verified by the U.S. Department of Labor
- DOL-verified median earnings of $6,240 per quarter after exiting Computer Science Transfer Pathway
- 1,423 graduates across 59 programs in 2025
- VA-approved for GI Bill benefits — 131 students used them here
Program-Level Results · Verified by the U.S. Department of Labor
Verified Program Outcomes
Completion and employment results reported to the U.S. Department of Labor for Normandale Community College programs on the state Eligible Training Provider List. Missing values ("—") mean the state suppressed or did not report that metric — they never mean zero.
| Program | Completion rate | Employed 6 mo after exit | Employed 1 yr after exit | Median quarterly earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Studies Transfer Pathway | 28% | 72% | 72% | — |
| Economics Transfer Pathway | 28% | 72% | 72% | — |
| English Transfer Pathway | 28% | 72% | 72% | — |
| History Transfer Pathway | 28% | 72% | 72% | — |
| Liberal Education | 28% | 72% | 72% | — |
| Mathematics Transfer Pathway | 28% | 72% | 72% | — |
| Political Science Transfer Pathway | 28% | 72% | 72% | — |
| Psychology Transfer Pathway | 28% | 72% | 72% | — |
| Sociology Transfer Pathway | 28% | 72% | 72% | — |
| Spanish Transfer Pathway | 28% | 72% | 72% | — |
| Computer Science Transfer Pathway | 18% | 65% | 66% | $6,240 |
| Business--Marketing and Management | 8% | 74% | 73% | $6,577 |
| Business Transfer Pathway | 22% | 72% | 72% | $7,869 |
| Engineering Broad Field | 18% | 65% | 69% | $6,116 |
| Biology Transfer Pathway | 5% | 68% | 69% | $4,185 |
| Elementary Education Foundations Transfer Pathway | 22% | 79% | 78% | $5,274 |
| Nursing (MANE) | 80% | 81% | 85% | $11,793 |
| Accounting Transfer Pathway | 29% | 75% | 75% | $8,036 |
| Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway | 18% | 77% | 77% | $5,989 |
| Computer Technology | 16% | 69% | 68% | $7,361 |
| Law Enforcement Transfer Pathway | 26% | 82% | 79% | $8,435 |
| Nursing Assistant | 73% | 78% | 81% | $3,741 |
| Exercise Science Transfer Pathway | 14% | 72% | 78% | $5,419 |
| International Experience | — | 77% | 77% | $5,167 |
| Computers/Information Management | 23% | 69% | 70% | $7,592 |
| Chemistry Transfer Pathway | 18% | 56% | 62% | $4,425 |
| Creative Writing | 24% | 67% | 71% | $4,211 |
| Human Resource Management | 57% | 83% | 79% | $9,355 |
| Marketing | 11% | 75% | 75% | $5,741 |
| Music | 14% | 64% | 61% | $3,720 |
| Dental Hygiene | 77% | 88% | 85% | $15,263 |
| Accounting | 37% | 70% | 72% | $7,261 |
| Hospitality Management | 24% | 75% | 73% | $7,277 |
| Individualized Studies | 7% | 72% | 71% | $6,480 |
| Community Health Worker and Navigator | 81% | 75% | 77% | $7,888 |
| Special Education Transfer Pathway | 21% | 83% | 75% | $6,545 |
| Management | 52% | 83% | 80% | $10,095 |
| Healthcare Systems Technology | 11% | 65% | 73% | $7,084 |
| Public Health | 11% | 72% | 75% | $6,453 |
| Data Analytics | 17% | 64% | 63% | $10,976 |
| Art Transfer Pathway | 64% | 57% | 76% | $2,953 |
| Food Science | 8% | 77% | 75% | $3,666 |
| Small Business Management | 29% | 71% | 69% | $8,906 |
| Exercise Specialist | 78% | 71% | 72% | $5,104 |
| Law Enforcement | 22% | 84% | 84% | $7,006 |
| Vacuum Maintenance Technician | 93% | 60% | 60% | $22,726 |
| Vacuum Technology | 93% | 60% | 60% | $22,726 |
| Spanish | 57% | 55% | 56% | $5,071 |
| Vacuum and Thin Film Technology | 29% | 82% | 85% | $13,224 |
| Theatre Performance Transfer Pathway | 42% | 47% | 56% | $2,036 |
| Global Studies | 14% | 75% | 67% | $4,500 |
| Religious Studies | 56% | 56% | 50% | $4,974 |
| Theatre Production and Design Transfer Pathway | 67% | 87% | 93% | $7,281 |
| Hotel Marketing and Sales | 78% | 78% | 63% | $6,703 |
| Hotel Operations | 78% | 78% | 63% | $6,703 |
| Field Archeology | 63% | 69% | 67% | $3,790 |
| Family Studies | — | 80% | 70% | $4,495 |
| Food and Beverage Management | 75% | 63% | 57% | $8,525 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, WIOA participant outcomes (trainingproviderresults.gov), PY 2023.
College-Wide Statistics · IPEDS Federal Survey
What Are the Student Outcomes at Normandale Community College?
Unlike the program-level results above, the figures below cover all students at Normandale Community College, tracked over eight years by the federal IPEDS survey.
Overall Completion Rate
24.1%
Working Student Success
24.6%
Transfer Out Rate
37.6%
Still Enrolled Rate
1.1%
How Normandale Community College Compares
24% completion is below the typical trade-college range, where 30%+ is more common. 38% transfer out and 1% remain enrolled; together these soften but don't erase the gap. Worth understanding what's driving the rate before committing.
What Happens After Students Enroll at Normandale Community College?
Eight-Year Student Outcomes
Eight-year outcomes for students who entered Normandale Community 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 44.7% 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 Normandale Community 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
Transfer students outperform first-time students by 29.0 percentage points, suggesting the institution provides strong support for transfer pathways and recognizes prior learning effectively.
Combined 21.0% 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 Normandale Community College?
What does this mean for you? These completion rates show how different types of students succeed at this institution. Notably, part-time students have a higher success rate here (24.6% vs 23.4% for full-time), which is great news if you plan to work while studying. This pattern is common at trade colleges where programs are designed to accommodate working adults. First-time students are those new to college, while transfer students have attended another institution before.
What Are the Cohort Outcomes Over Time at Normandale Community College?
Tracking outcomes for the 2015-16 cohort of 3,403 students
After 4 Years
After 6 Years
After 8 Years (Final)
Final Student Status
Completion Breakdown by Cohort
All First-time Transfer Students
Full-time First-time Transfer Students
Part-time First-time Transfer Students
All First-time Students
Part-time First-time Students
Full-time First-time Students
All Part-time Students
All Full-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.