Student Outcomes

Success rates, completion statistics, and student outcome metrics for South Mountain Community College

Phoenix, AZ

Overall Completion Rate

17.7%

Working Student Success

19.6%

Transfer Out Rate

35.9%

Still Enrolled Rate

4.4%

What Happens After Students Enroll?

Eight-Year Student Outcomes

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

10.7%
26.0%
60.1%
Completed
10.7%
277 students
Still Enrolled
3.2%
84 students
Transferred Out
26.0%
676 students
No Award
60.1%
1,563 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 36.7% 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 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(515 cohort size)
24.0%
24.0% completed
34.0% transferred to other institutions
Transfer-In Students(175 cohort size)
31.0%
31.0% completed
35.0% transferred again to other institutions
Continuing Students(501 cohort size)
7.0%
7.0% completed

Key Insights

Transfer students outperform first-time students by 7.0 percentage points, suggesting the institution provides strong support for transfer pathways and recognizes prior learning effectively.

Combined 34.5% transfer-out rate suggests this institution may serve as a stepping stone for students continuing their education elsewhere.

Cohort Composition

515
First-Time
175
Transfer-In
501
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
16.2%
Part-time Students
19.6%
First-time Students
24.3%
Transfer Students
21.2%

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 (19.6% vs 16.2% 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

Tracking outcomes for the 2015-16 cohort of 1,840 students

After 4 Years

21
Certificates
196
Associate Degrees
217
Total Awards
12%
Completion Rate

After 6 Years

21
Certificates
241
Associate Degrees
262
Total Awards
14%
Completion Rate

After 8 Years (Final)

22
Certificates
255
Associate Degrees
277
Total Awards
15%
Completion Rate

Final Student Status

15%
Graduated
5%
Still Enrolled Here
37%
Enrolled Elsewhere
0%
Status Unknown

Completion Breakdown by Cohort

Part-time First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 64
8-Year Rate: 41%

All First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 175
8-Year Rate: 31%

Full-time First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 111
8-Year Rate: 26%

Part-time First-time Students

Cohort Size: 201
8-Year Rate: 25%

All First-time Students

Cohort Size: 515
8-Year Rate: 24%

Full-time First-time Students

Cohort Size: 314
8-Year Rate: 24%

All Full-time Students

Cohort Size: 863
8-Year Rate: 16%

All Part-time Students

Cohort Size: 977
8-Year Rate: 14%

Time to Completion

Average time: 5 years
Median time: 5 years
Complete on time: 14.7%

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.