Student Outcomes

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

Olympia, WA

Overall Completion Rate

43.7%

Working Student Success

40.4%

Transfer Out Rate

22.6%

Still Enrolled Rate

0.8%

What Happens After Students Enroll?

Eight-Year Student Outcomes

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

36.1%
17.9%
45.4%
Completed
36.1%
2,445 students
Still Enrolled
0.5%
36 students
Transferred Out
17.9%
1,213 students
No Award
45.4%
3,071 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 54.0% 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(1,059 cohort size)
39.0%
39.0% completed
26.0% transferred to other institutions
Transfer-In Students(1,315 cohort size)
55.0%
55.0% completed
16.0% transferred again to other institutions
Continuing Students(846 cohort size)
29.0%
29.0% completed

Key Insights

Transfer students outperform first-time students by 16.0 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

1,059
First-Time
1,315
Transfer-In
846
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
48%
Part-time Students
40.4%
First-time Students
39%
Transfer Students
52.5%

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 (48%) compared to part-time students (40.4%). 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 5,516 students

After 4 Years

120
Certificates
2,157
Associate Degrees
2,277
Total Awards
41%
Completion Rate

After 6 Years

121
Certificates
2,276
Associate Degrees
2,397
Total Awards
43%
Completion Rate

After 8 Years (Final)

120
Certificates
2,325
Associate Degrees
2,445
Total Awards
44%
Completion Rate

Final Student Status

44%
Graduated
1%
Still Enrolled Here
22%
Enrolled Elsewhere
0%
Status Unknown

Completion Breakdown by Cohort

Full-time Non-first-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 590
8-Year Rate: 60%

Full-time First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 654
8-Year Rate: 59%

All First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 1,315
8-Year Rate: 55%

Part-time First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 661
8-Year Rate: 52%

All Full-time Students

Cohort Size: 1,846
8-Year Rate: 52%

All Non-first-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 2,296
8-Year Rate: 47%

Part-time Non-first-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 1,706
8-Year Rate: 42%

All Part-time Students

Cohort Size: 3,670
8-Year Rate: 41%

Time to Completion

Average time: 5 years
Median time: 5 years
Complete on time: 40.3%

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.