Dallas College Student Achievement

In support of Dallas College’s mission - “To transform lives and communities through higher education” - the institution sets ambitious student achievement targets. College performance is measured against these targets, and corrective actions are taken when targets fall below acceptable thresholds. Student achievement targets include IPEDS 150% completion rates, total first time in college (FTIC) and transfer-in students Fall-to-Fall retention rates, total number of credentials awarded, and licensure pass rates.

IPEDS 150% Completion Rate

Dallas College uses the IPEDS 150% graduation metric for two-year colleges as a student achievement measure. The table below shows the three-year graduation rate. The target for 2023-2024 is set at 32%, while the threshold of acceptability is 30%.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
(filtered for public two-year colleges)

Fall-to-Fall Retention

Dallas College tracks its retention rate using a measure that includes both FTIC and transfer-in students. The Fall-to-Fall retention rate target for 2023-2024 is set at 60%, 2% higher than the actual retention rate for 2022-2023. The retention has increased from a low of 52% during the COVID-19 pandemic to 56% in 2021-2022, and another 2% increase to 58% in 2022-2023. The college has provided dedicated resources to ensure continued improvement in student retention. The target for 2023-2024 is set at 60%, and the threshold of acceptability is 58%.

Source: Dallas College Data Warehouse

Total Credentials Awarded

Dallas College sets targets and tracks the total number of credentials awarded each year. These measures are more broad-based, as they include all students, not just students who are full-time FTIC. The targeted growth rate for number of students receiving credit credentials is 2.5% annually.

Course Completion

Course completion is a leading indicator of retention and graduation. Dallas College closely monitors course completion rates and targets a 1% increase annually in student progress success.

Source: Dallas College Data Warehouse. *Target for 2022-2023 was set before AY21-22 performance numbers were available. 2020-2021 course performance was at 70%.

Licensure and Certification Pass Rates

Dallas College is committed to preparing students for rewarding careers, tracking outcomes of licensure and certification pass rates to ensure the college is in regulatory compliance by meeting and exceeding the minimum thresholds set by the credentialling agency. Outcomes for 2021-2022 and targets for 2022-2023 are noted below.