# What is a graduation rate? May 19, 2026 • 7 minutes Written by [Matt Bukowski](/blog/authors/matt-bukowski.html) Graduation rates measure the percentage of students in a particular cohort who graduate from their program of study within a designated period of time. Graduation rates calculated by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), using data that universities provide to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), includes only undergraduate students who qualify as “first-time, full-time” (FTFT) students. This measure is meaningful for schools whose student population is predominantly FTFT students but tends to exclude the vast majority of students at nontraditional schools, because those students are more likely to be adult learners who previously attended college elsewhere. For example, at University of Phoenix, a predominantly online university founded to serve working adults, the majority of students in an entering cohort are_not_FTFT. They are not accounted for by IPEDS Graduation Rates. University of Phoenix graduation rates may appear low when compared to many of the more traditional schools that serve traditional students out of high school —but the student population at University of Phoenix is nontraditional. As a school founded to serve working adults, University of Phoenix provides them with flexible learning paths to achieve their goals. Making higher education accessible for these adults has never been more important, and University of Phoenix boasts more than 1 million alumni to affirm their commitment to this mission. As a result of serving this unique population, the graduation rate at University of Phoenix is best understood as a reflection of how well the school reaches and serves students who are frequently at risk of being left behind in traditional learning environments. Furthermore, because the University serves a largely nontraditional population, standard external metrics such as IPEDS Graduation Rates do not fully capture the outcomes of most students and can understate actual retention, progression, and completion. In response, the University has developed and implemented institutional measures of student achievement and progression that include all students and emphasize continuous academic progress over static enrollment snapshots. This approach provides a more accurate and actionable view of student performance across the full student body. ## What Is University of Phoenix’s graduation rate? Graduation rates at University of Phoenix vary by program level: The 150% institutional graduation rates reflect the percentage of University students in the cohort who had completed their program of study within 150% of the published length of the program (for example, within six years of starting a four-year program). Most importantly, the institutional graduation rate does not exclude students who are not FTFT— like IPEDS does. That is why University of Phoenix highlights this rate as a leading measure of student success. ## Why do University of Phoenix graduate rates appear low? The way IPEDS graduation rates are calculated makes sense at traditional colleges, but University of Phoenix has many unique attributes that need to be considered. In other words, the graduation rate is not a one-size-fits-all calculation, which is again why University of Phoenix points not to the IPEDS rate but to the institutional graduation rate, as described above. ### University of Phoenix serves students associated with risk factors University of Phoenix was founded to serve working adults, and as a result, the student body does not look like what many might think of as a “traditional” college campus. Data show that among University of Phoenix student enrollment during fiscal year 2025: - 75% are currently employed. - 95% of new students are older than 22, with an average age of 38. - 53% are first-generation college students. - 62% of students who completed an optional survey identify as members of a minority group. - 71% are female. While every student is an individual, and every learning journey is unique, many factors are associated with a higher risk of not completing college. Some of these risk factors, identified by the NCES, are single parenting, having dependents, working full time, being a first-generation student, and having an income of less than $50,000. In fact, on average, University of Phoenix undergraduate students are associated with three risk factors.  ### University of Phoenix offers flexibility that graduation rates do not account for To serve its student population, University of Phoenix offers certain flexibility that students may not find at traditional schools, such as: - The ability to pause education at any point - The ability to enroll in an individual course Notably, graduation rates do not account for students who take a few courses for credit requirements at other schools, or for transferring to other schools and graduating there. ### University of Phoenix is an open-access university University of Phoenix’s acceptance rate is generally 90%-95%. This is because University of Phoenix is an open-access university that offers a chance for interested students to pursue an education, even if other universities have denied them access. Certain programs have prerequisites or admissions criteria. ## How does University of Phoenix measure student success? Graduation rates also are a lagging indicator of student progression.  For example, the 150% rate for a bachelor’s degree is not calculated until six years after a student cohort enrolls.  Accordingly, University of Phoenix has developed other metrics that provide a more timely and meaningful measurements of student success. ### Retention rates Retention rates measure University of Phoenix students’ progress by defining them as retained if they post attendance in their fourth course within the time required to complete five courses at their degree level (175 days for bachelor’s programs, 210 days for graduate programs and 133 days for competency-based programs). This methodology is designed to reflect meaningful academic engagement and forward progress rather than simple enrollment status at a single point in time. In 2025, retention rates at University of Phoenix were: ### “On-track” rates University of Phoenix also uses internal checkpoints to create a leading indicator for graduation rates called the “on-track metric.” The on-track metric is a monthly point in time measure that reflects the percentage of students on pace to graduate within 150 percent of normal time. This metric includes all students and aligns with how students move through programs, making it more responsive and data informed. Since its implementation in 2016, on track performance has consistently shown year-over-year improvement trending—in fact, In 2024, every month outperformed their corresponding month in the previous two fiscal years. ### Accreditation Since 1978 University of Phoenix has been institutionally [accredited](https://www.phoenix.edu/about/accreditation.html) by the [Higher Learning Commission](https://hlcommission.org/) (HLC), an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit degree-granting colleges and universities. Additionally, select University of Phoenix programs have programmatic accreditation, meaning these programs meet the standards of additional accreditors specializing in a program’s subject matter. This includes programs in University of Phoenix’s College of Business and IT, College of Nursing, and more. ## What steps is University of Phoenix taking to help students? Consistent with University of Phoenix’s continual improvement approach, the University has implemented a number of student-centric strategies to support improvements in student performance: - Academic Counselors help students develop their own academic plans, as well as partner with faculty to coordinate early interventions to help students succeed. - The Centers for Writing & Mathematics Excellence offer tutoring with live personnel, workshops, videos, and tutorials, allowing students to continue to develop and hone skills in multiple media. - The Life Resource Center offers clinical counseling services and life coaching to provide support for students in everything from mental health to time management.  - Predictive models guide counselors on interventions for at-risk students. - Data-driven course redesign integrates new real world scenario approaches to mathematics that make transition to college math easier for students. - The University Library acts as support network of subject matter experts and dedicated researchers to support students and faculty with reference consultations, interlibrary loans, and document retrieval - Interactive videos allow faculty to provide direct instruction within a video, promoting active learning and engagement.  Institutional graduation and retention rates are trending upward—and University of Phoenix is confident that these will continue to improve in the years to come. Read more articles like this: [What Is the Post-9/11 GI Bill? Tuition and Financial Aid October 15, 2022 • 5 minutes](/blog/what-is-the-gi-bill.html)[Secrets of scholarships: Your step-by-step guide to an effective essay Tuition and Financial Aid October 26, 2021 • 8 minutes](/blog/secrets-of-scholarships-your-step-by-step-guide-to-an-effective-essay.html)[Scholarship Eligibility: Why That Probably Includes You Tuition and Financial Aid April 11, 2023 • 6 minutes](/blog/scholarship-eligibility-why-that-probably-includes-you.html) ### ABOUT THE AUTHOR Matt Bukowski is a writer and educator with an MFA in writing from American University. His professional writing career spans professional training, IT and software design, test prep, writing instruction, data narrative and PR. Matt lives in Virginia with his wife, three children, two cats and a stack of overdue library books. This article has been vetted by University of Phoenix's editorial advisory committee.  [Read more about our editorial process.](/blog/editorial-process.html)