Award rate

The institution tracks each Outcome Measures cohort and flags members who receive any formal award within the window. The award rate is awardees ÷ cohort. Rates are reported by cohort type and time point. Public data users can compare award rates across institutions and across student subgroups. Internal analyses may further separate certificate awards from degree awards.

Example: an online institution’s eight-year award rate for part-time non-first-time students is 52 percent, while its six-year Graduation Rate for full-time first-time students is 28 percent. The higher award rate reflects certificate completions and transfer-in success that the traditional graduation rate excludes.

Graduation rate is a specific IPEDS metric with a narrower cohort and, typically, a bachelor’s-oriented outcome. Retention rate measures year-to-year return. Award rate in Outcome Measures counts any formal credential for broader cohorts. Completion rate is sometimes used colloquially for either measure.

Using “award rate” and “graduation rate” interchangeably in disclosures. Excluding certificate recipients when the metric is defined to include them. Comparing an award rate from Outcome Measures with a Graduation Rate without noting the different cohorts.