What is a Retention Rate Formula & How is it Calculated?
We Are Committed to Your Continued and Long-term Success
As part of our commitment to student success, Design Institute of San Diego measures and tracks the retention and graduation rates of all students.
Retention Rate – What is it?
Retention refers to the rate at which students return and re-enroll at DI from semester to semester and from year to year.
To determine our retention rate, we start with the number of students enrolled at DI during a given 12-month period (July 1 to June 30), which is the Unduplicated 12-Month Headcount. We then subtract the number of students who withdrew from the program during that 12-month period to get the number of retained students. The number of retained students divided by the number of all enrolled students is the retention rate.
This is how we calculate the retention rate:
- All students = Unduplicated 12-Month Headcount (students enrolled during a 12- month period)
- Retained students = All students – students who withdrew
- Retained students ÷ All students = Retention Rate
The retention rates for the last four years are below.
BFA Graduation Rate
The BFA graduation rate represents the percentage of students who successfully complete the BFA program within eight years, out of all the students who started the program. Graduation rate is one of the outcomes that DI tracks, along with the rates of students who are still enrolled or have transferred to another institution.
To determine the BFA graduation rate, we start with the list of students who first entered the BFA program during a given 12-month period (July 1 to June 30), which is the cohort of entering students. We then determine the status of each student eight years later to determine the number of graduated students (those who earned an interior design degree), enrolled students (those currently enrolled at DI), and students who had transferred out to attend another institution. The number of graduates divided by the number of entering students is the graduation rate.
This is how we calculate the BFA graduation rate:
- Entering students = Number of students who first entered the BFA program during a 12- month period
- Graduated students = Of entering students, the number who graduated with a BFA within eight years
- Graduated students ÷ Entering students = Graduation Rate
The BFA graduation rates for the last four years are below.
MID Graduation and On-Time Completion Rates
The MID graduation rate represents the percentage of students who successfully complete the MID program within six years, out of all the students who started the program. The first cohort of MID students started the program in Fall 2020, and the graduation rate for that cohort will be available in 2026.
The MID on-time completion rate represents the percentage of students who successfully complete the MID program within the expected time, whether that is two years for students in the Two-Year Track or three years for students in the Three-Year Track. The first cohort of MID students started the Two-Year Track in 2020, with an expected graduation date in 2022. The on-time completion rate for that cohort is 67%.
For more DI data, explore College Navigator or our Consumer Information page.