Student Success, Retention and Graduation
Graduation Initiative 2025 Goals
Last updated: 11/9/2022
This page provides our progress toward reaching the 2025 graduation initiative goals, and to identify ways to improve potential outcomes for students who are currently enrolled, as well as for future cohorts.
| Metrics | 2025 Goal | 2024 Rate | 2023 Rate | 2022 Rate | 2021 Rate | 2020 Rate | 2019 Rate | 2018 Rate | 2017 Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTFT Freshman Four-Year Graduation | 33% | 30.5% | 27.1% | 28.4% | 26.5% | 27.2% | 24.1% | 24.9% | 22.2% |
| FTFT Freshman Six-Year Graduation | 69% | 50.4% | 50.1% | 54.7% | 53.7% | 55.2% | 56.5% | 54.9% | 53.6% |
| UG Transfer Two-Year Graduation | 49% | 50.2% | 44.8% | 44.9% | 45.5% | 47.7% | 46.6% | 44.7% | 41.1% |
| UG Transfer Four-Year Graduation | 86% | 72.4% | 73.4% | 76.7% | 77.5% | 75.5% | 74.2% | 72.8% | 72.7% |
| Opportunity Gap | 0 | 13.4% | 11.1% | 10.7% | 9.7% | 9.8% | 0.8% | 7.9% | 9.8% |
| Pell Recipient Gap | 0 | 4.5% | 5.1% | 7.4% | 3.8% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 3.8% | 1.2% |
Definitions
- FTFT Freshman = First-time Full-time Freshman
- UG Transfer = New Undergraduate Transfer
Retention and Graduation
The Retention and Graduation Dashboards provide summary and detailed reports that track student progress in the traditional and last major approaches. More explanations/definitions about these two tracking approaches are available here. In addition, learn about the Student Right-to-Know Act, passed by Congress in 1990, that requires institutions eligible for Title IV funding, to calculate completion or graduation rates of degree-seeking, full-time students entering that institution, and to disclose these rates to current and prospective students. Visit our Student Right to Know page.
Student Success at San Francisco State University means holding our students to high expectations and offering them the support they need to reach them.
- Student Success and Graduation Initiative
- CSU's Graduation Initiative 2025
- Gator Smart Start partners with local high schools, incoming students, and current SF State Gators to ensure students excel in their English composition (writing) and quantitative reasoning (math) courses.
- Gator Smart Start
- The Degree Awarded Reports provide headcounts and degrees conferred by term and can be obtained by selecting the appropriate data filter.
- By Major (Primary, Secondary or both)
- By Minor (Primary, Secondary or both)
Graduation Initiative 2025 Goals
The PAPA Outcome Metrics provides key indicators to assess the outcomes of the Predictive Analytics and Proactive Advising (PAPA) project activities, supported by the Stupski Foundation Grant. The PAPA project goals are aligned with the SF State student success and Graduation Initiative (GI) 2025 goals. The key indicators are quantitative in nature, including:
- Graduation Initiative 2025 Goal
- Progress Summary
- FTFT Freshman Four-Year Graduation
- FTFT Freshman Six-Year Graduation
- UG Transfer Two-Year Graduation
- UG Transfer Four-Year Graduation
- Opportunity Gap
- Pell Recipient Gap
Intermediate Student Outcomes
The PAPA Outcome Metrics provides key indicators to assess the outcomes of the Predictive Analytics and Proactive Advising (PAPA) project activities, supported by the Stupski Foundation Grant. The PAPA project goals are aligned with the SF State student success and Graduation Initiative (GI) 2025 goals. The key indicators are quantitative in nature, including:
- 1st Year Retention Rates
- 2nd Year Retention Rates
- Student Attrition Rates (Which students leave before graduation?)
- Junior Retention Rates (Do Students Achieve Junior Status at Equitable Rates?)
- Junior to Graduation (Once students achieve junior status, how long do they take to graduate?)
- Golden Four Course Completion (Pass Rates) by first-time freshman at the end of 1st year
- % of Undergraduates Attempting 12 or More Units (Full-time)
Course Availability
The PAPA Outcome Metrics provides key indicators to assess the outcomes of the Predictive Analytics and Proactive Advising (PAPA) project activities, supported by the Stupski Foundation Grant. The PAPA project goals are aligned with the SF State student success and Graduation Initiative (GI) 2025 goals. The key indicators are quantitative in nature, including:
- Average Unit Load (AUL) by Student Level
- Average Seats per Section by Course Level
- % and # sections of high demand classes (based on historical enrollment ratio)
The Student Returning Report identifies students who enrolled in an initial semester and tracks whether they return or re-enroll in a subsequent semester. It excludes those who graduated at the end of the initial semester (e.g., identifying students who enrolled in Fall 2023, excluding those who graduated at the end of Fall 2023, and tracking their return in Spring 2024). The report also allows for the exclusion of non-degree-seeking students (e.g., CourseMatch and Step to College programs) and CPaGE students (e.g., self-support enrollment).
Student success reports
Student Success at San Francisco State University means holding our students to high expectations and offering them the support they need to reach them.