Do Students Succeed at Rochester Community and Technical College?
How do students at Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, MN fare? Explore completion rates, transfers, and key outcomes.
Student Success at Rochester Community and Technical College at a Glance
Rochester Community and Technical College is a public institution offering at least 2 but less than 4 years programs located in Rochester, MN. Current enrollment is 5,205 students.
- 28.9% overall graduation rate (IPEDS)
- 30.7% of all entering students earn their award within 8 years
- 71% 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 $5,731 per quarter after exiting Communication Studies Transfer Pathway
- 963 graduates across 92 programs in 2025
- VA-approved for GI Bill benefits — 141 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 Rochester Community and Technical 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 | 38% | 71% | 72% | $5,731 |
| History Transfer Pathway | 38% | 71% | 72% | $5,731 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | 38% | 71% | 72% | $5,731 |
| Mass Communication Transfer Pathway | 38% | 71% | 72% | $5,731 |
| Psychology Transfer Pathway | 38% | 71% | 72% | $5,731 |
| Sociology Transfer Pathway | 38% | 71% | 72% | $5,731 |
| Nursing | 30% | 87% | 85% | $9,186 |
| Business Management | 19% | 72% | 71% | $7,721 |
| Dental Hygiene | 27% | 81% | 79% | $7,856 |
| Computer Science | 23% | 65% | 67% | $5,736 |
| Computer Science Transfer Pathway | 23% | 65% | 67% | $5,736 |
| Information Technology | 23% | 65% | 67% | $5,736 |
| Business Transfer Pathway | 21% | 68% | 69% | $7,013 |
| Cancer Registry Management | 38% | 65% | 63% | $9,714 |
| Health Information Technology | 38% | 65% | 63% | $9,714 |
| Practical Nursing | 40% | 88% | 87% | $8,024 |
| Individualized Studies | 38% | 74% | 73% | $7,301 |
| Health Sciences Broad Field | 5% | 79% | 77% | $5,230 |
| Surgical Technology | 34% | 87% | 83% | $9,381 |
| Law Enforcement | 33% | 75% | 74% | $6,280 |
| Law Enforcement Transfer Pathway | 33% | 75% | 74% | $6,280 |
| Radiography | 4% | 80% | 82% | $6,546 |
| Healthcare Informatics | 51% | 25% | 27% | $9,546 |
| Advanced Hospital Nursing Assistant | 53% | 86% | 83% | $7,150 |
| Engineering Broad Field | 12% | 59% | 63% | $5,450 |
| Dental Assistant | 37% | 91% | 90% | $7,398 |
| Accounting Transfer Pathway | 32% | 70% | 73% | $7,036 |
| Pre-Social Work Transfer Pathway | 19% | 84% | 83% | $5,999 |
| Veterinary Technician | 39% | 79% | 75% | $7,344 |
| Criminal Justice | 17% | 70% | 68% | $5,814 |
| Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway | 17% | 70% | 68% | $5,814 |
| Biology Transfer Pathway | 13% | 72% | 63% | $4,219 |
| Facility and Service Technology | 38% | 77% | 76% | $10,242 |
| Alcohol and Drug Counseling | 12% | 71% | 68% | $7,260 |
| Welding Technology | 55% | 72% | 76% | $6,134 |
| Law Enforcement-Skills | 44% | 90% | 85% | $9,712 |
| Professional Peace Officer Education Skills | 44% | 90% | 85% | $9,712 |
| Graphic Design | 24% | 70% | 71% | $5,019 |
| Automotive Technician | 56% | 83% | 79% | $7,927 |
| Sport Management | 8% | 50% | 48% | $3,560 |
| Laboratory Science | 23% | 86% | 79% | $8,935 |
| Coding Specialist | 44% | 59% | 60% | $9,942 |
| Emergency Medical Technology | 17% | 87% | 84% | $7,161 |
| Emergency Medicine Paramedic | 30% | 90% | 91% | $9,567 |
| Carpentry | 78% | 73% | 75% | $8,659 |
| Healthcare Office Professional | 50% | 74% | 73% | $9,579 |
| Executive Office Professional | 33% | 75% | 76% | $8,264 |
| Computer Information Systems | 11% | 58% | 62% | $9,243 |
| Administrative Office Professional | 55% | 69% | 75% | $7,312 |
| Environmental Science | 21% | 73% | 75% | $5,938 |
| Business Administration | 23% | 71% | 76% | $7,931 |
| Digital Marketing Specialist | 23% | 71% | 76% | $7,931 |
| CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) Technology | 47% | 78% | 69% | $8,107 |
| Clinical Neurophysiology Technology | 32% | 83% | 79% | $6,800 |
| Communication Studies | 74% | 70% | 74% | $5,657 |
| Music Creative Technologies | 12% | 71% | 68% | $5,172 |
| Workplace Communication | 96% | 79% | 77% | $7,474 |
| Group Fitness Instructor | 16% | 48% | 46% | $3,662 |
| Personal Trainer | 16% | 48% | 46% | $3,662 |
| Child Youth and Family Studies | 19% | 77% | 77% | $6,069 |
| Histology Technician | 22% | 78% | 78% | $10,025 |
| Aviation Pilot | — | 79% | 76% | $5,202 |
| Web Design | 25% | 58% | 68% | $7,101 |
| Photography | 47% | 68% | 65% | $8,183 |
| Coaching | 13% | 55% | 54% | $2,424 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | 47% | 87% | 100% | $19,138 |
| Dental Assistant Expanded Functions | 62% | 85% | 88% | $8,842 |
| Accounting Clerk | 29% | 79% | 83% | $8,162 |
| Chemistry Transfer Pathway | 16% | 58% | 68% | $3,948 |
| Child Development | 35% | 65% | 65% | $6,582 |
| Science Foundations | — | 79% | 79% | $4,407 |
| Music Technology | 27% | 50% | 58% | $5,542 |
| Science Foundations A | — | 74% | 68% | $13,531 |
| Science Foundations B | — | 74% | 68% | $13,531 |
| Bioinformatics Foundations | — | 60% | 67% | $13,578 |
| Business Analysis | — | 82% | 82% | $3,822 |
| Mass Communication | — | 75% | 88% | $3,411 |
| Supervisory Leadership | 36% | 91% | 90% | $13,052 |
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 Rochester Community and Technical College?
Unlike the program-level results above, the figures below cover all students at Rochester Community and Technical College, tracked over eight years by the federal IPEDS survey.
Overall Completion Rate
30.7%
Working Student Success
32.6%
Transfer Out Rate
31.5%
Still Enrolled Rate
1.5%
How Rochester Community and Technical College Compares
Rochester Community and Technical College completes 31% of its students, in line with what most trade and vocational schools achieve. 31% transfer out and 1% are still progressing. Use this as a baseline rather than a differentiator when comparing peer schools.
What Happens After Students Enroll at Rochester Community and Technical College?
Eight-Year Student Outcomes
Eight-year outcomes for students who entered Rochester Community and Technical 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 Rochester Community and Technical 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 6.0 percentage points, suggesting the institution provides strong support for transfer pathways and recognizes prior learning effectively.
Combined 33.0% 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 Rochester Community and Technical 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 (32.6% vs 28.6% 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 Rochester Community and Technical College?
Tracking outcomes for the 2015-16 cohort of 1,877 students
After 4 Years
After 6 Years
After 8 Years (Final)
Final Student Status
Completion Breakdown by Cohort
Part-time First-time Transfer Students
All First-time Transfer Students
Part-time First-time Students
Full-time First-time Transfer Students
All Part-time Students
Part-time Non-first-time Transfer Students
All First-time Students
All Non-first-time Transfer 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.