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Calculating Graduation Rates

To calculate the graduation rate, the college tracks a specific group of students for a specified timeframe.

The students tracked in the graduation rate calculation are referred to as the full-time, first-time freshman (FTFTF) cohort and are: first-time students during the fall semester, registered for a full course load (at least 12 credit hours), and are degree-seeking.

These students are tracked for three years after their first fall term. Only those students who graduate within 150% of the “normal” time for their program count toward the graduation rate calculation. The allowed program times are defined by the U.S. Department of Education and the South Carolina Technical College System. For TTC’s academic programs they are:

Program Type

Normal Program Time

150% Program Time

Associate Degree

2 Years

3 Years

Diploma

16 Months

2 Years

Certificate

12 Months

18 Months


In fall 2021, TTC’s enrollment was 11,286 while the FTFTF cohort was only 1,145. These students will be used to calculate graduation rates in 2024. The most recent graduation rate was calculated using the FTFTF cohort from fall 2018, which was 1,397 students from the overall fall 2018 enrollment of 12,148.