Arizona State University: A Comprehensive Look at Graduation Rate Statistics

Arizona State University (ASU), a large public research university founded in 1885, is known for its innovation and commitment to inclusivity. Ranked #117 in National Universities and #1 in Most Innovative Schools by the 2026 edition of Best Colleges, ASU aims to provide accessible and excellent education to a diverse student body. This article delves into the graduation rate statistics at ASU, providing a detailed analysis of various factors influencing student success.

General Overview of Arizona State University

Arizona State University is a very large, 4-year, public university located in an urban setting. The university offers a wide array of degrees, including certificate, master's, doctoral, associate, and bachelor's degrees. With an acceptance rate of 89.88% and a graduation rate of 66%, ASU welcomes students from across the United States and the world, offering programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, public policy, design and the arts, journalism, health care, education, sustainability, and the sciences. The university's commitment to sustainability is evident through its solar structures that provide shaded walkways and parking on its campuses. Modern classrooms, high-tech laboratories, and fitness complexes further enhance the learning environment.

Overall Graduation Rates

Arizona State University Campus Immersion demonstrates a strong performance in graduation outcomes, with an overall graduation rate of 68%, placing it in the top 30% of institutions nationwide. This positive trend is evident for both men and women, with male graduation rates at 65% and female rates slightly higher at 70%. The university's retention rate also underscores its academic environment, standing at 85%. Looking at the timeline for degree completion, the four-year graduation rate at the university is 55%, which is strong and remains in the top 30% of institutions. The institution’s processes and methodologies for collecting and analyzing information on student retention, persistence, and completion of programs reflect good practice. (Institutions are not required to use IPEDS definitions in their determination of persistence or completion rates.

Trends in Graduation Rates Over Time

ASU has achieved major improvements to graduation rates for all of its undergraduates. The student cohort that entered as freshmen in Fall 2002 achieved a first-year retention rate of 76.7%. Thirty percent graduated within four years, and 56.2% within six years. Students entering in Fall 2012 persisted into the second year at a rate of 83.8% and graduated within four years at the rate of 51.6%, 21.6 points higher than the 2002 cohort. The six-year rate is forecasted at 67.8%, 11.6 points higher. For Arizona students, these measures of success are still higher -- 86.2%, 53.3%, and 70.5%, respectively.

Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Graduation rates vary across different racial and ethnic groups at ASU. According to a 2023 report:

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American Indian or Alaskan Native: 34%
Asian: 77%
Black / African-American: 54%
Hawaiian: 64%
Hispanic: 60%
International: 76%
Multi-Ethnic: 62%
Unknown: 67%
White: 67%

These disparities highlight the importance of targeted support and resources to ensure equitable outcomes for all students.

Graduation Rates Based on Enrollment Status

Graduation rates also differ based on whether students are full-time or part-time, and whether they are first-time students or transfer students.

First-Time, Full-Time Students

First-time, full-time students at Arizona State University - Tempe represent 61% of the students in the class of 2015, and 59.23% of ASU - Tempe bachelor's degree graduations. With a four-year graduation rate of 41%, first-time students in the ASU - Tempe class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time. After six years, the ASU - Tempe graduation rate was 56%, and by the eight year mark, 58% of the cohort had completed their degree.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.

First-Time, Part-Time Students

First-time / part-time students at Arizona State University - Tempe represent 0.94% of the students in the class of 2015. With a six-year graduation rate of 18%, first-time, part-time students in the ASU - Tempe class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 21%.

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Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.

Non First-Time, Full-Time Students

3871 ASU - Tempe students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 31.02% of the students in the class of 2015. Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense. With a six year graduation rate of 65%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category. After eight years, the graduation rate was 66%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.

Non First-Time, Part-Time Students

860 ASU - Tempe students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 6.89% of the students in the class of 2015. With a six year graduation rate of 45%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 47%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.

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Factors Influencing Graduation Rates

Several factors contribute to the graduation rates at ASU. These include:

Retention Rates: ASU continuously tracks and monitors data related to student success, including student retention, persistence, and completion rates for students pursuing degrees and certificates. Enrollment data and responses from the Persistence Survey are used in the production of retention and persistence rates for the overall cohorts, as well as for particular subgroups (ethnicity, Pell eligibility, state residency, etc.). Each fall, UOEEE attempts to contact first-year students (from the previous fall) who did not return to ASU. Feedback provided by former students, parents, and family members provides the university with valuable information about why students did not return to ASU, their current activities, and whether they plan to return to ASU. A similar survey and outreach process is conducted each fall for new veteran students.
Academic Support: Academic units monitor students’ progress using e-Advisor and the retention dashboard, intervene when students display an inability to progress in their major or a lack of interest in their chosen major(s), and assist in finding majors that better fit their skills and interests. Colleges also examine year-to-year enrollment and participation data by academic programs, degree type, and other appropriate subgroups to develop strategies for facilitating student success. Staff members from academic units and support programs analyze participation data, specifically the percentage of successful students who engaged in a particular program or used a specific university service. Academic colleges are charged with engaging students from the outset in the residence halls and in college communities to aid in improving retention and graduation rates. Individual academic units are also encouraged to develop internal systems for supporting this crucial student group.
Course Redesign: Redesigning courses with suboptimal success rates while maintaining rigor -- ASU is redesigning a number of the largest introductory (gateway) courses with relatively low pass rates as blended active/adaptive courses as mentioned previously. Successful efforts to date include introductory math, biology, history and chemistry courses, and similar course redesign efforts are underway in large enrollment economics and psychology courses. The re-design of calculus is to follow soon.
Technology and Infrastructure: Refining and improving the technology systems that support student success -- “ASU is working with a team of vendors to build an integrated academic, financial, and career planning technology platform … A new in-house support center for ASU Online that uses mobile technology and social media applications to deliver academic, financial, and social support through data driven success coaching. Success Coaching partners students and coaches in a thoughtful and creative process that guides them to reaching their full personal and professional potential. An interactive and personalized mindset application (GetSet) was launched to facilitate community building and encourage positive mindsets for struggling students. A preliminary review of the results showed that moderate use of the mindset application produced improvement in the first semester GPA by 0.26 on average. Improvement of the most vulnerable students was greater, as expected.
Student Support Programs: Continuing to improve staff training and on-campus support facilities and activities -- Several colleges have improved or are in the process of improving their advising centers, and residence halls have built dedicated facilities for advising and student success programming. ASU implemented Project LEAD (Learn • Explore • Advance • Design), a program that integrates three courses and thus more effectively facilitates learning of course concepts and further develops students’ critical thinking and communication skills. Pilot efforts have been successful in boosting the retention of students who entered ASU with lower levels of preparation. Increases in retention rates and GPAs occurred each term since the initial pilot in the 2014 - 2015 academic year. Fall 2016 LEAD students retained to spring semester at a higher rate (N = 472, 93.2%) and achieved higher academic success (average GPA of 2.85) than their peer group (N = 1871, 89.6%, 2.60). ASU’s SEED (Student Engagement and Employment Development)program provides incentives to ASU units to hire students currently working at off-campus jobs, thus relieving scheduling and travel pressures that impede study time. SEED helps entering freshmen adjust to college, secure on-campus employment, and become more engaged in the campus community. The program was designed to give students the opportunity to have bi-weekly supervisor meetings and to participate in other developmental opportunities, including a First Year Success coaching session and a career services program every semester. In the 2014-2015 academic year, 206 students were hired through the program, increasing year-to-year retention to 92.0% compared to those not hired in the program at 83%. Eligibility criteria for program participation include entering freshman who can benefit the most from the program, and research results are shaping the experience for more than 11,000 on-campus student employees. ASU’s participation has led to the implementation of financial aid interventions, process mapping to improve the impact of student communications, and advising strategies.
Data-Driven Initiatives: Working with the academic units and support service providers, ASU centrally reviews its extraordinary data to design university-wide initiatives, regardless of the chosen major, to improve the retention and graduation of students in general; but more specifically, to design programs intended to address vulnerabilities of subgroups of students identified by increasingly sophisticated data analytics. The predictive analytics system and internal communication system at ASU are going through a major upgrade, as described in Criterion 3.D.3. Civitas provides predictive analytics nightly on every student. If a significant change has occurred, the appropriate personnel will be alerted through Salesforce for immediate action. Analysis of retention and persistence data is conducted across the university. College-level retention data are provided to deans, and academic units are evaluated and rewarded based on their retention results. ASU colleges are held accountable for retention within the university, not merely within their college. The entire retention apparatus at ASU is centered on university-level retention and completion.

Post-Graduation Earnings

Graduates from Arizona State University Campus Immersion experience a wide range of earning potentials depending on their chosen field of study. For instance, degrees in engineering-related fields consistently rank at the top in terms of earnings. Construction Engineering leads with an average income of $74,873, followed by Computer Science at $72,698 and Computer Engineering at $71,373. Strong salaries extend beyond engineering. Graduates with degrees in Computer and Information Sciences generally earn between $51,195 and $60,802, with specific fields like Computer/Information Technology Administration reporting $58,893. Applied Mathematics stands out with an average earning of $50,115, positioning it among the higher-paid liberal arts and sciences options. Other fields such as Architecture, Urban Planning, and Landscape Architecture offer competitive salaries, with averages ranging from about $41,663 to $46,569. Education degrees vary, with specialties related to teaching and specific subject areas typically earning between $40,436 and $41,151. Fields such as Communication and Media Studies average $39,971 in earnings, whereas Public Relations and Advertising graduates earn closer to $31,608, showing variability within communications-focused disciplines. Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $52,843.

Methodologies for Data Collection and Analysis

The UOIA and UOEEE follow strict protocols for the collection, analysis, and reporting of university retention, persistence, and completion data. These units use consistent data definitions, and items on the ASU Persistence Survey were carefully worded and pilot-tested prior to implementation. Appropriate analytical procedures are strictly followed, and quality control mechanisms are implemented to ensure that calculations and reports are accurate. Data are analyzed for the aggregate as well as for meaningful subgroups. Following are examples of institutional dashboards: One-Year Retention Rate Trends - Metropolitan Campuses; One-Year Retention Rates by College - Metropolitan Campuses; Graduation Rate Trends - Metropolitan Campuses; Six-Year Graduation Rates by College - Metropolitan Campuses.

Non-Completion Rates

Approximately 5007 students or 41% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years. Of these, 61 are still enrolled, 3640 transferred to another institution, and ASU - Tempe lost contact with the remaining 1306 who we assumed dropped out.

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