I. Retention Rates (Retention)
As defined by the US Department of Education, retention rates are a measure of the rate at which students persist in their educational program at an institution, expressed as a percentage. For four-year institutions, this is the percentage of first-time bachelors degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous fall who are again enrolled in the current fall. The following table presents the retention rates for BYU-Idaho as reported to the federal government through IPEDS.
| 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time, first-time Fall bachelor's cohort | 1,801 | 1,621 | 2,171 | 1,664 | 1,583 | 1,515 |
| Exclusions from the Fall cohort | 288 | 426 | 312 | 567 | 386 | 402 |
| Adjusted Fall cohort | 1,513 | 1,195 | 1,859 | 1,097 | 1,197 | 1,113 |
| Students from Fall cohort still enrolled as of subsequent Fall | 1,076 | 875 | 1,337 | 741 | 827 | 752 |
| Full-time, first-time Fall bachelor's cohort retention rate | 71% | 73% | 72% | 68% | 69% | 69% |
Analysis Notes
- Data include only full-time, frist-time bachelor's students.
- Exclusions include students from the cohort who left the institution for any of the following reasons: died or were totally and permanently disabled; to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty); to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government (e.g. Peace Corps); or to serve on official church missions.
- Inaccuracies in identifying all exclusions exist because of the number of students who do not officially inform the university when they leave on their missions. Sometimes this information does not become available until after they have returned from their mission.
II. Graduation Rates (Persistence)
As defined by the US Department of Education, graduation rates identify what percentage of a fall semester cohort of first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates complete their degree program in 150% of the normal time required for the degree. For bachelors degrees, normal time is 6 years. For associate degrees, normal time is 3 years. The following table presents the graduation rates for BYU-Idaho as reported to the federal government through IPEDS.
| Cohort | IPEDS Year | Number of Completers | Number in Adjusted Cohort | Overall Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 1999 | 2005-06 | 1,148 | 1,868 | 61% |
| Fall 2000 | 2006-07 | 792 | 1,286 | 62% |
| Fall 2001 | 2007-08 | 872 | 1,278 | 68% |
| Fall 2002 | 2008-09 | 1,080 | 1,653 | 65% |
| Fall 2003 | 2009-10 | 678 | 1,117 | 61% |
| Fall 2004 | 2010-11 | 838 | 1,275 | 66% |
| Fall 2005 | 2011-12 | 1,177 | 1,940 | 61% |
| Fall 2006 | 2012-13 | 1,004 | 1,655 | 61% |
| Fall 2007 | 2013-14 | 889 | 1,479 | 60% |
| Fall 2008 | 2014-15 | 884 | 1,576 | 56% |
| Fall 2009 | 2015-16 | 1,093 | 1,788 | 61% |
| Average: | 62% |
Analysis Notes
- The full cohort is defined as all first-time full-time freshmen starting school in the fall semester of the indicated year.
- The number in the adjusted cohort excludes students from the full cohort who left the institution for any of the following reasons: death or permanent disability; service in the armed forces; service in a foreign aid organization within the Federal Government (e.g. Peace Corps); or service on an official church mission.
- Inaccuracies in identifying exclusions exist because of the number of students who do not officially inform the university when they leave on their missions or leave the institution for any of the above stated reasons. Sometimes this information does not become available until students subsequently return to school.
- These numbers report the overall graduation rate, not the graduation rate for students pursuing bachelor's degrees. A number of entities (e.g., the White House and Chronicle of Higher Education) report only the latter statistic and not the overall graduation rate.
- The graphic below provides some context for interpreting BYU-Idaho graduation rates. The source for this data is the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).