As required by the U.S. Department of Education, 34 CFR Part 668, Student Assistance General Provisions, “An institution shall make readily available to all enrolled students and prospective students, through appropriate publications and mailings, the institution’s completion and graduation rate (or a projected completion or graduation rate) of its full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who enroll for the first time [at WMCC] and have not previously enrolled at any other institution of higher education.”
The retention rate at WMCC for the student cohort that started in fall of 2020 is 69% for full-time students and 40% for part-time students. Retention rates measure the percentage of entering students who continue their studies the following fall. Meanwhile, the graduation rate for full-time, first-time undergraduates in the 2018 cohort at 150% time (three years) is 54%. The 100% time (two years) graduation rate is 47%.
Important to note is that, for many students, graduating from WMCC is not the goal. Some students enroll to complete a semester or two before transferring, or to explore an area of career interest, or to resolve academic deficiencies before returning to their original college, or to take courses for self-improvement and personal enrichment. In 2018, 5% of the cohort transferred without graduating at 150% time.