Course completion rate
The percentage of attempted courses in which students successfully complete. This analysis is typically done separately for credit-bearing courses, non-credit courses (including developmental education), and dual enrollment courses.
Passing a course is an indicator that a student learned the material. Alone, this is an imperfect measure, as research has demonstrated that the amount of student learning in completed courses varies substantially. For this reason, other assessments of student learning should be used in conjunction with this one. Additionally, rates of course completion are correlated to graduation rates as well as maintaining good academic standing for financial aid. However, without clear education plans aligned to post-graduation success, improving course completion rates alone may not lead to substantially improved graduation rates.
While college leaders will find value in collecting data on all students, consistently disaggregating data whenever possible can reveal outcome disparities. This information is essential for colleges developing strong reform plans to improve and close disparities in student success.
- Race/ethnicity
- Gender
- Family/Personal Income
- Age
- Parent/Dependent status
- Attendance intensity
- First-generation status
- Veteran status
Students may identify with one or many of the above identities. College leaders should consider how these different identities intersect and pay close attention to these relationships and how they may influence each student’s experience.