The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMTC) has released their student success metrics in December of 2023. The goals for these metrics are listed on the Board of Regents Scorecard. The Office of Undergraduate Education leads the Strategic Enrollment plan which aims to enhance student success and overall experiences at the U.
First-Year Retention Rate
With 91.5% of students returning for a second year, we are creeping back from the pandemic impact after the University of Minnesota Twin Cities set an all-time record of 93.5% for the fall 2019 cohort. Twenty years ago (entering class of 2004) the rate was 87.6%. UMTC brings in a large number of transfer students compared to our peers. The retention rate for our transfer students returning for a second year is a record high 89.4%, up from 84.2% twenty years ago. These measures have seen slight but steady increases over time and we continue to focus on the transfer student experience.
Graduation Rates
UMTC has seen the largest improvement in the 4-year graduation rate of any doctoral-granting institution in the country when looking back over the last 20 years of annual data collected by the U.S. Department of Education. UMTC undergraduates are completing their degree in 4 years at a rate of 70.8%. By 6 years, 85.5% of our undergraduates have received their diplomas. The 3-year graduation rate for Twin Cities external transfer students who entered in 2022 is 74.1%. Twenty years ago the 4 year graduation rate was 36.7%. The UMTC has also seen continued improvement with graduation rates for BIPOC students, low-income students, and first generation students, all near the highest levels in UMTC history.