Student Outcomes

Success rates, completion statistics, and student outcome metrics for San Diego City College

San Diego, CA

Overall Completion Rate

25.6%

Working Student Success

25.2%

Transfer Out Rate

28.2%

Still Enrolled Rate

0.9%

What Happens After Students Enroll?

Eight-Year Student Outcomes

Eight-year outcomes for students who entered San Diego City College. This shows what happened to students in their cohort by the end of the tracking period.

15.3%
25.2%
58.9%
Completed
15.3%
1,818 students
Still Enrolled
0.6%
69 students
Transferred Out
25.2%
2,990 students
No Award
58.9%
6,988 students

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 40.5% 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 Student Transfer and Continuation Patterns?

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.

First-Time Students(1,205 cohort size)
37.0%
37.0% completed
17.0% transferred to other institutions
Transfer-In Students(718 cohort size)
30.0%
30.0% completed
33.0% transferred again to other institutions
Continuing Students(1,879 cohort size)
22.0%
22.0% completed

Key Insights

First-time students have an advantage of 7.0 percentage points over transfer students, which may reflect the benefits of starting fresh at the institution.

Combined 25.0% transfer-out rate suggests this institution may serve as a stepping stone for students continuing their education elsewhere.

Cohort Composition

1,205
First-Time
718
Transfer-In
1,879
Continuing

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

Full-time Students
26.6%
Part-time Students
25.2%
First-time Students
37.3%
Transfer Students
23.5%

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 (26.6%) compared to part-time students (25.2%). 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

Tracking outcomes for the 2015-16 cohort of 8,806 students

After 4 Years

222
Certificates
1,195
Associate Degrees
1,417
Total Awards
16%
Completion Rate

After 6 Years

222
Certificates
1,475
Associate Degrees
1,697
Total Awards
19%
Completion Rate

After 8 Years (Final)

225
Certificates
1,593
Associate Degrees
1,818
Total Awards
21%
Completion Rate

Final Student Status

21%
Graduated
1%
Still Enrolled Here
34%
Enrolled Elsewhere
0%
Status Unknown

Completion Breakdown by Cohort

Part-time First-time Students

Cohort Size: 407
8-Year Rate: 40%

All First-time Students

Cohort Size: 1,205
8-Year Rate: 37%

Full-time First-time Students

Cohort Size: 798
8-Year Rate: 35%

Part-time First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 351
8-Year Rate: 32%

All First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 718
8-Year Rate: 30%

Full-time First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 367
8-Year Rate: 28%

All Full-time Students

Cohort Size: 2,226
8-Year Rate: 27%

All Non-first-time Students

Cohort Size: 1,879
8-Year Rate: 22%

Time to Completion

Average time: 5 years
Median time: 5 years
Complete on time: 20.3%

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.