Nontraditional Student Graduation Rate Benchmarks

Abstract

The prominence of discourse on postsecondary degree completion, student persistence, and retention has increased in the national dialogue. Heightened attention to college completion rates by the federal government and pressure to tie state funding to performance metrics associated with graduation rates are catalysts for the discussion. Nontraditional students are a vital factor in increasing national degree completion rates, but there is a lack of data for benchmarks such as graduation rates for these students. This article reviews and compares three databases for nontraditional student graduation rate data. The limitations of each database are discussed; student-level and institution-level data are investigated to better understand the information available for nontraditional student graduation rates; and implications for practice are included.

Keywords:

• nontraditional
• adult
• graduation
• metrics
• student success
• benchmarks