Student Outcomes
Success rates, completion statistics, and student outcome metrics for Michigan State University
Overall Completion Rate
72.5%
Working Student Success
76.4%
Transfer Out Rate
17.2%
Still Enrolled Rate
0.6%
What Happens After Students Enroll?
Eight-Year Student Outcomes
Eight-year outcomes for students who entered Michigan State University. This shows what happened to students in their cohort by the end of the tracking period.
Understanding These Outcomes
Completed: Students who earned a certificate, diploma, or degree from this institution.
Still Enrolled: Students who remain enrolled at this institution after the tracking period.
Transferred Out: Students who transferred to another institution and may have completed there.
No Award: Students who left without earning a credential and are not enrolled elsewhere.
Combined completion and transfer rate of 83.9% indicates strong student success pathways.
These outcomes track what happened to students eight years after they first enrolled. Completion rates include certificates, diplomas, and degrees earned at this institution. Transfer rates show students who continued their education at other colleges. Understanding these pathways helps prospective students set realistic expectations and plan their educational journey.
What Are Student Transfer and Continuation Patterns?
Success Rates by Student Entry Pathway
Comparing completion rates across different student entry pathways helps understand which groups succeed and how transfer experience impacts outcomes.
Key Insights
First-time and transfer students achieve similar completion rates, indicating equitable support regardless of entry pathway.
Cohort Composition
Understanding Student Pathways
First-Time Students: Beginning postsecondary education for the first time at this institution.
Transfer-In Students: Previously attended another postsecondary institution before enrolling here.
Continuing Students: Returned to this institution after a break in enrollment.
Completion rates tracked over 8 years from initial entry.
Different student entry pathways lead to varying success rates. First-time students enter directly from high school or are starting college for the first time. Transfer students bring prior college experience and credits. Understanding these patterns helps you identify which pathway aligns best with your situation and predict your likelihood of success.
What are the Completion Rates by Student Type
What does this mean for you? These completion rates show how different types of students succeed at this institution. Notably, part-time students have a higher success rate here (76.4% vs 66.4% for full-time), which is great news if you plan to work while studying. This pattern is common at colleges where programs are designed to accommodate working adults. First-time students are those new to college, while transfer students have attended another institution before.
Student Outcomes Over Time
Tracking the 2015–16 entering cohort of 10,422 students — the four-year mark is the natural bachelor's degree milestone, with outcomes tracked through year 8.
After 4 Years
After 6 Years
After 8 Years (Final)
Final Student Status
Completion Breakdown by Cohort
All First-time Transfer Students
Part-time First-time Transfer Students
Part-time First-time Students
Full-time First-time Transfer Students
All Part-time Students
All First-time Students
All Full-time Students
Full-time First-time Students
Time to Completion
About This Data
Outcome measures data tracks student cohorts over 4, 6, and 8-year periods. Data is sourced from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reflects the most recent available reporting year.