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Overall

74% of the 5,450 FY 2024 bachelor’s 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’s disappointing that the percentage dropped, 74% is still the 3rd-best on record. 

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.  The average is longer than the median because a few students take a very long time, which affects the average but not the median.  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’s all-time high of 78%. However, it’s 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’s all-time high. It’ also the 2nd-highest ever.

By Gender

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

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.  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.  

Pell Grant Recipients & First-Generation Â鶹ÒùÔº

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’s 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. 

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’s 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)