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Each January, CU聽Boulder participates in the聽AAU Data Exchange Undergraduate Time to Degree (TTD) Survey.聽Graduation rate calculations start with a cohort of entering freshmen and follows them forward in time, asking what percent earned degrees in a given time period. By contrast, time-to-degree calculations start with a group of degree recipients in a given year and looks backward in time, asking how long it took them, on average, to graduate.聽聽

Overall

74% of the 5,450 FY 2024 bachelor鈥檚 recipients who entered CU-Boulder as freshmen took 4 years or fewer to graduate, a 2-point drop after many consecutive years of increases. While it鈥檚 disappointing that the percentage dropped, 74% is still the 3rd-best on record.聽

The median time to degree for the FY 2024 degree cohort was 3.7 years, equivalent to the 4th spring after fall entry. The average time to degree was 4.0 years. 聽The average is longer than the median because a few students take a very long time, which affects the average but not the median. 聽For example, 42 students earning degrees in FY 2024 entered as freshmen in 2014 or earlier.

By Residency

The percentage of Colorado resident degree recipients graduating in 4 years or less was 75%, a 3-point drop from last year鈥檚 all-time high of 78%. However, it鈥檚 still the 2nd-highest percentage on record. The percentage of non-resident degree recipients graduating in 4 years or less was 74%, 1 point lower than last year鈥檚 all-time high. It鈥� also the 2nd-highest ever.

By Gender

Male students dropped a point from last year鈥檚 all-time high percentage graduating in 4 years or less, to 69%, still the 2nd-highest ever. Females dropped 2 points from last year鈥檚 record high, to 80%.聽聽

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)

The percentage of BIPOC students graduating in 4 years or less was 73%, 2 points lower than last year but still the 2nd-highest ever. 聽The overall trend since 2019 has been strongly upward from 63%, equaling a record at the time, to 75% and 73% the last two years.聽聽

Pell Grant Recipients & First-Generation Students

The percentage of resident degree recipients who had Pell grants who graduated in 4 years or less was 66%. This is the 3rd-highest rate ever, but represents an 8-point decline from last year鈥檚 74%, which was by far the highest ever. The percentage for non-resident Pell students increased 2 points from last year, to 73%, equaling the all-time high.聽

The percentage of first generation students graduating in 4 years or less was 67%. This was the 2nd-highest rate ever, but a large drop from last year鈥檚 record 72%.

Data is available by college and major over-time since 2002. Further group categories are provided below.

  • Residency
  • Citizenship
  • Minority
  • First generation
  • Veteran
  • Entry college/major
  • ACO (alternate college option)
  • Summer enrollment
  • Study abroad
  • Honors
  • GPA below 2.0
  • PGPA (Predictive GPA)

Download the CU Boulder Data (Excel)

Mean time to degree only; AAUDE Survey does not collect median time to degree. Includes AAU public peers who have submitted data for the AAUDE Survey in at least four of the last five years by all degree, multiple degrees/major and more.

Download the the Peer Comparison Data

  • TTD is retroactive, showing both median and average elapsed time. See below for both.
  • The primary measure is TTD in years for degrees received in a fiscal year (FY 2007 = summer 2006, fall 2006 and spring 2007).
  • Time is measured in elapsed time, not enrolled time.
  • Population of students: Bachelor's degree recipients who entered CU-Boulder in the summer/fall as first-time, full-time freshman (full time = 12+ hours, counted at end of the fall term)
  • For all calculations: One elapsed term = 1/3 of year.
  • Examples:
    • Begin fall YYYY and finished spring YYYY + 4 = 11 elapsed terms (3.67 years).
    • Begin fall YYYY and finished summer YYYY + 4 = 12 elapsed terms (4.0 years)
    • Begin fall YYYY and finished fall YYYY + 4 = 13 elapsed terms (4.33 years)