I. Retention Rates (Retention)

As defined by the US Department of Education, retention rates are a measure of the rate at which students persist in their educational program at an institution, expressed as a percentage. For four-year institutions , this is the percentage of first-time bachelors degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous fall who are again enrolled in the current fall. The following table presents the retention rates for BYU-Idaho as reported to the federal government through IPEDS.

 

  2009 2010
Full-time, first-time Fall bachelor's cohort 1,801 1,621
Exclusions from the Fall cohort 288 426
Adjusted Fall cohort 1,513 1,195
Students from Fall cohort still enrolled as of subsequent Fall 1,076 875
Full-time, first-time Fall bachelor's cohort retention rate 71% 73%

 

Analysis Notes
  • Data include only full-time, first-time bachelor's students.
  • Exclusions include  students from the cohort who left the institution for any of the following reasons: died or were totally and permanently disabled; to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty); to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government (e.g. Peace Corps); or to serve on official church missions.
  • Inaccuracies in identifying all exclusions exist because of the number of students who do not officially inform the university when they leave on their missions. Sometimes this information does not become available until after they have returned from their mission.

 

II. Graduation Rates (Persistence)

As defined by the US Department of Education, graduation rates identify what percentage of a fall semester cohort of first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates complete their degree program in 150% of the normal time required for the degree. For bachelors degrees, normal time is 6 years. For associate degrees, normal time is 3 years. The following table presents the retention rates for BYU-Idaho as reported to the federal government through IPEDS.

Cohort
IPEDS Year
Number of Completers
Number in Cohort
Graduation Rates
Fall 1998
2005
1,148
1,868
61%
Fall 1999
2006
792
1,286
62%
Fall 2000
2007
872
1,278
68%
Fall 2001
2008
1,080
1,653
65%
Fall 2002
2009
678
1,117
61%
Fall 2003
2010
838
1,275
66%
Fall 2004
2011
1,177
1,940
61%
AVERAGE      
63%

Analysis Notes
  • The cohort is defined as all first-time full-time freshmen starting school in the fall semester of the indicated year.
  • The number in the cohort is adjusted by excluding students from the cohort who left the institution for any of the following reasons: death or permanent disability; service in the armed forces; service in a foreign aid organization within the Federal Government (e.g. Peace Corps); or service on an official church mission.
  • Inaccuracies in identifying exclusions exist because of the number of students who do not officially inform the university when they leave on their missions or leave the institution for any of the above stated reasons. Sometimes this information does not become available until students subsequently return to school.
  • The graphic below provides some context for interpreting BYU-Idaho graduation rates. The source for these data is the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

regional grad rates