Retention Rates
Explore official Rutgers retention data, trends, and key metrics.
Definitions
Select a term to view its definition.
1-Year Retention Rate
The percentage of students in the cohort who are either enrolled at Rutgers as of the fall census date one year after entering the cohort or have earned a bachelor’s degree by that time.
2-Year Retention Rate
The percentage of students in the cohort who are either enrolled at Rutgers as of the fall census date two years after entering the cohort or have earned a bachelor’s degree by that time.
3-Year Retention Rate
The percentage of students in the cohort who are either enrolled at Rutgers as of the fall census date three years after entering the cohort or have earned a bachelor’s degree by that time.
Bachelor's Degree-Seeking Student
An undergraduate student who, at the time of entry, is seeking a bachelor’s or equivalent degree. Students seeking other types of credentials are not included in the bachelor’s degree-seeking cohort.
Campus
One of four Chancellor Led Units at Rutgers University: Camden, New Brunswick, Newark, or Rutgers Health. For federal reporting, Rutgers Health is combined with New Brunswick.
Census Date
The date when Rutgers captures its official student enrollment snapshot, typically on the fifth Friday of the fall and spring semesters. This is also referred to as Phase III Reporting.
Cohort
The group of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s degree-seeking students who enter Rutgers during the fall term or the immediately preceding summer. Students who first enter in the spring are not included.
Cohort Year
The calendar year of the fall term in which the cohort enters Rutgers.
First-Time Student
An undergraduate student attending college for the first time after completing high school. College coursework completed while in high school, including dual enrollment, does not affect first-time status. Students who first enroll in college during the summer immediately preceding fall entry are also considered first-time.
Full-Time Student
A student enrolled in the number of credit hours required for full-time status based on their academic level and term. For this dashboard, full-time status is defined as an undergraduate student enrolled in 12 or more credit hours during the entry fall term.
Pell Status
Indicates whether a student received a Federal Pell Grant upon entry into the cohort. Pell Grants are federal grants for undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need.
Residence
The student's residence classification for tuition and/or institutional reporting purposes. Students who are legal residents of New Jersey are classified as In-State; students who are not legal residents of New Jersey are classified as Out-of-State.
FAQs
Select a question to view the answer.
Who is included in the retention cohort?
The retention cohort consists of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s degree-seeking students who enter Rutgers during the fall term or the immediately preceding summer. Students who first enter in the spring are not included. Transfer students and students who enter part-time are also not included.
What does the retention rate measure?
The retention rate measures the percentage of students in the cohort who are either enrolled at Rutgers as of the fall census date or have earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers by that time.
For example, a student in the Fall 2024 cohort is counted in the 1-year retention rate if the student is enrolled at Rutgers at the Fall 2025 census date or has earned a Rutgers bachelor’s degree by then.
How are the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year retention rates calculated?
- 1-Year Retention: Percentage of the cohort enrolled at Rutgers at the fall census date one year after entry or who earned a bachelor’s degree by that time.
- 2-Year Retention: Percentage of the cohort enrolled at Rutgers at the fall census date two years after entry or who earned a bachelor’s degree by that time.
- 3-Year Retention: Percentage of the cohort enrolled at Rutgers at the fall census date three years after entry or who earned a bachelor’s degree by that time.
For example, students entering in Fall 2024 are evaluated in Fall 2025 for 1-year retention, Fall 2026 for 2-year retention, and Fall 2027 for 3-year retention.
What happens if a student graduates, transfers, or leaves Rutgers?
A student who earns a Rutgers bachelor’s degree by the applicable follow-up point is counted in the retention rate even if the student is no longer enrolled in alignment with federal reporting guidelines. A student who transfers, withdraws, or otherwise leaves Rutgers without earning a Rutgers bachelor’s degree by that point is not counted as retained.
Why can’t I see a 3-year retention rate for some cohort years?
A 3-year retention rate requires three subsequent fall census dates after the cohort enters Rutgers. The most recent cohorts may not yet have reached the point at which a 3-year rate can be calculated. For example, the Fall 2025 cohort requires data through Fall 2028 for a 3-year retention rate.
Are Pharmacy students included in the Retention metrics?
Pharmacy students are excluded from these metrics because these rates are designed for first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking undergraduate cohorts. Pharmacy students pursue a professional PharmD degree through a distinct academic pathway and, therefore, are not included in the standard undergraduate cohorts used to calculate these measures.
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