The Success Rates Data Files will dynamically generate a report that shows details beyond the number of degree-seeking students who enter a Michigan postsecondary institution and achieve successful outcomes. 

This report is designed to be exported into an Excel workbook after taking into account the selected parameters for College/University Group, Year Entering Higher Education, and Subgroups. For a summary view, check out the Success Rates Report. 

For more information on how the success rates are calculated, please consult Understanding Michigan's Postsecondary Success Rates.

Report Labels

Sector: For the purposes of this report, all public Michigan postsecondary institutions are classified as either a community college or public university. 

Cohort Year: The initial school year in which a student enters a Michigan community college or public university as an Undergraduate, or when a high school student participating in an Early/Middle College program begins their fourth year of high school. 

Rate Year: The measured academic years that take place after the start of the Cohort Year.  Metrics are gauged at the end of a given Rate Year.

Base Cohort: All full-time and part-time undergraduate students who have not previously been reported as degree-seeking in any Michigan college or university. This includes students currently reported as degree and nondegree-seeking. 

Degree-Seeking Cohort: A group of students enrolled as degree-seeking students in a given Cohort Year, who have never previously been degree-seeking students.

Adjusted State Cohort (ASC): The Degree-Seeking Cohort, minus transitions out of the institution, plus transitions into the institution. The ASC reflects students’ most recent degree-seeking enrollment(s) by the end of a given Rate Year. Once a student achieves success at an Institution of Higher Education (IHE), they are thereafter counted in the ASC at that institution, even if they also enroll and are counted elsewhere.

Success: Success outcomes are used as the numerator to calculate the Success Rate. For both sectors, success is defined as earning a certificate, associate or bachelor’s degree. For the community college sector, success also includes transitioning to a public university. Each first-time enrollment class consists of degree-seeking students. Awards are counted at the institution that conferred the degree or certificate.  Transitions into a public university are counted at the Michigan community college(s) in which the student was most recently enrolled before the student's enrollment in the public university. A student may only be counted in one outcome per IHE per rate year.  If a student achieves two different kinds of successes at the same IHE, they will be counted as whichever success was achieved first. If both were achieved at the same time, they will be counted as having earned the higher award, if applicable.

Success Rate: This rate is equal to the number of Total Successes at the IHE by the end of the Rate Year, divided by the Adjusted State Cohort at the IHE. (Total Successes) ÷ (Adjusted State Cohort)