Do Students Succeed at Oakland Community College?
Discover how students at Oakland Community College progress — from enrollment through completion, transfer, and beyond.
Student Success at Oakland Community College at a Glance
Oakland Community College is a public institution offering at least 2 but less than 4 years programs located in Auburn Hills, MI. Current enrollment is 15,287 students.
- 20.7% overall graduation rate (IPEDS)
- 27.8% of all entering students earn their award within 8 years
- 68% of exiters from its largest program (Associate in Arts) were employed within 6 months — verified by the U.S. Department of Labor
- DOL-verified median earnings of $6,198 per quarter after exiting Associate in Arts
- 2,291 graduates across 120 programs in 2025
- VA-approved for GI Bill benefits — 294 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 Oakland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate in Arts | 23% | 68% | 70% | $6,198 |
| Associate in General Studies | 19% | 69% | 69% | $6,813 |
| Business Administration | 13% | 66% | 68% | $7,816 |
| Associate in Science | 8% | 71% | 72% | $6,557 |
| Mental Health and Pre-Social Work | 23% | 73% | 72% | $6,148 |
| Business Administration - Concentration in Accounting | 11% | 73% | 72% | $9,600 |
| CIS - Software Engineering Option | 16% | 68% | 69% | $8,800 |
| Nursing | 63% | 82% | 78% | $17,473 |
| Pre-Engineering | 2% | 69% | 67% | $6,327 |
| CIS - Cybersecurity Option | 25% | 82% | 77% | $11,312 |
| Early Childhood Education | 14% | 72% | 72% | $6,384 |
| Graphic Design | 25% | 78% | 76% | $7,802 |
| Technological Sciences | 49% | 73% | 74% | $9,325 |
| Emergency Medical Services | 7% | 52% | 75% | $4,743 |
| Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement | 7% | 81% | 79% | $12,910 |
| Criminal Justice - Generalist | 17% | 74% | 79% | $7,589 |
| Health Care Administration | 16% | 79% | 74% | $8,984 |
| Interior Design | 20% | — | 63% | — |
| CIS - Information Technology Support Option | 15% | 76% | 74% | $9,534 |
| Oakland Police Academy | 95% | — | — | — |
| Culinary Arts | 10% | 83% | 70% | $6,711 |
| Sign Language Interpreter | 28% | — | 71% | — |
| CAD - Computer Aided Engineering Option | 16% | 69% | 70% | $10,849 |
| CIS - Cybersecurity Certificate | 30% | 81% | 76% | $8,553 |
| Robotics/Automated Systems Technology | 14% | 88% | 79% | $12,850 |
| Paralegal | 48% | 80% | 70% | $6,491 |
| CIS - Software Engineering Certificate | 6% | 81% | 73% | $7,411 |
| Automobile Servicing | 14% | 65% | 73% | $10,342 |
| Oakland Fire Academy | 60% | 78% | 85% | $7,671 |
| Construction Management | 9% | 70% | 70% | $10,393 |
| Medical Assisting Certificate | 14% | 71% | 82% | $8,387 |
| Photographic Technology | 5% | — | 73% | — |
| Business Administration-Concentration International Business | — | 78% | 60% | $6,155 |
| Fire Fighter Technology | 12% | 80% | 78% | $12,286 |
| Library Services and Technology | 13% | 67% | 80% | $6,474 |
| General Accounting Certificate | 12% | 75% | 62% | $11,088 |
| HVAC/R - Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technician Option | 31% | 74% | 72% | $7,216 |
| Paralegal Post Baccalaureate Professional Certificate | 39% | — | — | — |
| Emergency Medical Services - EMT Certificate of Achievement | 92% | 68% | 80% | $6,099 |
| Welding/Fabrication Technology - Level 1 Fundamentals | 57% | 82% | 84% | $11,161 |
| Medical Assisting - Medical Insurance Coding and Billing Certificate of Achievement | 67% | 72% | 72% | $8,270 |
| Machine Tool Technology - Numerical Control Technology | 22% | 74% | 68% | $11,067 |
| Digital Media Communications | — | — | 83% | — |
| CIS - Web Designer Certificate | — | 75% | 61% | $8,733 |
| Sterile Processing Technician | 81% | 69% | 62% | $9,237 |
| Dental Hygiene | 82% | — | 83% | — |
| Programmable Logical Controls and Robotic Technician | 91% | 71% | 72% | $10,476 |
| Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate | 25% | 44% | 50% | $9,937 |
| Automobile Servicing Certificate | 27% | 87% | 77% | $10,358 |
| Management Development - Hospitality | — | 73% | 59% | $10,262 |
| Certified Nurse Aide | 97% | 94%† | 100%† | — |
| Medical Assisting - Phlebotomy Certificate of Achievement | 47% | 86% | 83% | $6,686 |
| CAD - Level I Fundamentals Certificate of Achievement | 39% | 74% | 77% | $10,069 |
| CIS - Information Technology Support Certificate | — | — | 83% | — |
| Respiratory Therapy | 92% | — | — | — |
| Photographic Technology Certificate | 37% | — | — | — |
| Radiologic Technology | 57% | — | — | — |
| Surgical Technology | 70% | 74% | 71% | $5,648 |
| Computer Support Technician | 100% | 46% | 33% | $5,946 |
| Machine Tool Technology - Numerical Control Technology Certificate | 38% | 100% | 83% | $15,985 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography | 58% | — | — | — |
| Robotics Automated Systems Technology Certificate | 42% | 81% | 71% | $16,092 |
| Health Care Administration Certificate | — | 100% | 100% | $10,214 |
| Medical Assisting - Medical Office Administrative Procedures Certificate of Achievement | 43% | 70% | 64% | $8,649 |
† Rate covers WIOA-funded participants only (the state did not publish an all-student rate).
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 Oakland Community College?
Unlike the program-level results above, the figures below cover all students at Oakland Community College, tracked over eight years by the federal IPEDS survey.
Overall Completion Rate
27.8%
Working Student Success
27.8%
Transfer Out Rate
29.7%
Still Enrolled Rate
2.1%
How Oakland Community College Compares
A 28% completion rate at Oakland Community College is consistent with how most trade colleges perform. With 2% 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 Oakland Community College?
Eight-Year Student Outcomes
Eight-year outcomes for students who entered Oakland 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 46.2% 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 Oakland 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 19.0 percentage points, suggesting the institution provides strong support for transfer pathways and recognizes prior learning effectively.
Combined 34.0% 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 Oakland Community 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 (28%) compared to part-time students (27.8%). 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 Oakland Community College?
Tracking outcomes for the 2015-16 cohort of 21,728 students
After 4 Years
After 6 Years
After 8 Years (Final)
Final Student Status
Completion Breakdown by Cohort
Part-time First-time Transfer Students
Full-time Non-first-time Transfer Students
All First-time Transfer Students
Full-time First-time Transfer Students
All Non-first-time Transfer Students
Part-time Non-first-time Transfer Students
All Full-time Students
All Part-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.