EXPLANATORY NOTE FOR CSRDE PERSISTENCE RATES FOR CCC TRANSFERS BY ETHNICITY AND BY GENDER

The table below lists retention rates and cumulative graduation rates for the cohort of California Community College (CCC) Transfers that entered the California State University (CSU) in fall 1995 as sophomores and above, and as either part-time or full-time students by ethnicity and by gender. Thus, each row represents events for a single group over six years. This is an example of a custom table that can be constructed from the CSRDE data.

Table 1. 1995 PERSISTENCE RATES FOR CCC TRANSFERS (SOPHOMORES & ABOVE) at CSU: System-wide

ETHNICITY OR GENDER / HEAD COUNT / PERCENT PART TIME / RETENTION / GRADUATION-CONTINUATION
After
1 Year / After
2 Years / 3 Years or less / 4 Years or less / 5-Year / 6-Year
GRAD / CONT / GRAD / CONT / GRAD / CONT / GRAD / CONT
BLACK / 1,818 / 29.8 / 0.729 / 0.526 / 0.257 / 0.278 / 0.375 / 0.141 / 0.437 / 0.079 / 0.477 / 0.048
HISPANIC / 5,317 / 28.2 / 0.809 / 0.577 / 0.380 / 0.269 / 0.515 / 0.121 / 0.584 / 0.052 / 0.622 / 0.031
ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER / 5,301 / 28.0 / 0.801 / 0.616 / 0.341 / 0.290 / 0.492 / 0.119 / 0.560 / 0.046 / 0.597 / 0.027
AMERICAN INDIAN / 404 / 26.2 / 0.760 / 0.574 / 0.349 / 0.255 / 0.465 / 0.124 / 0.525 / 0.067 / 0.584 / 0.040
WHITE / 13,248 / 26.5 / 0.798 / 0.561 / 0.447 / 0.225 / 0.580 / 0.089 / 0.633 / 0.040 / 0.662 / 0.021
NON RESIDENT ALIEN / 866 / 26.3 / 0.813 / 0.471 / 0.588 / 0.140 / 0.667 / 0.061 / 0.709 / 0.022 / 0.726 / 0.009
UNKNOWN / 3,611 / 28.2 / 0.788 / 0.559 / 0.399 / 0.244 / 0.529 / 0.112 / 0.587 / 0.056 / 0.624 / 0.031
FEMALE / 16,630 / 28.3 / 0.805 / 0.561 / 0.447 / 0.231 / 0.577 / 0.099 / 0.635 / 0.044 / 0.668 / 0.025
MALE / 13,935 / 26.4 / 0.783 / 0.578 / 0.350 / 0.267 / 0.487 / 0.113 / 0.547 / 0.050 / 0.584 / 0.028
SYSTEM / 30,565 / 27.4 / 0.795 / 0.569 / 0.403 / 0.247 / 0.536 / 0.105 / 0.595 / 0.047 / 0.629 / 0.026

Here is a description of the findings for the fall 1995 cohort that indicates what the table entries represent at the system-wide level:

  • Of the 30,565 admitted in the fall of 1995, 79.5% (0.795) returned to their home CSU campus in fall 1996. Thus, 20.5% graduated, dropped out or transferred to other institutions.
  • The proportion still enrolled in fall 1997 was 56.9% (0.569).
  • In the fall of 1998, the cumulative 3-year graduation rate for this cohort was 40.3% (0.403) and the proportion of those still enrolled was 24.7% (0.247).
  • In the fall of 1999, the 4-year graduation rate was 53.6% (0.536) and those still enrolled was 10.5% (0.105).
  • Likewise, in the fall of 2000, the 5-year graduation rate was 59.5% (0.595), and the 5-year continuation was 4.7% (0.047).

Finally, in the fall of 2001, the 6-year graduation was 62.9% (0.629), and the 6-year continuation rate was 2.3% (0.023).

System-wide rates could serve as a benchmark or reference point against which sub-groups may be compared at a given point in time. Exercise caution in instances where the head count is small, say 100 or less, as the resulting rates may be unstable and not suitable for making comparisons.

Further, be sure to read ‘Comparing Persistence Rates of Community College Transfers and Those of First-Time Freshmen’.

The rates for the fall 1995 cohort illustrate that the retention (continuation) rate is a decreasing function of time, while graduation rate is an increasing one. Note the lack of variation in percent part-time due to either ethnicity or gender, as opposed to, say, 6-year graduation rate.