Momentum
Completion of Credits Attempted: California
What Is Measured?
Percentage of students completing at least 80 percent of course credits attempted in their first year
Who Is Counted?
First-time degree-seeking California Community College students enrolled in 2000-01
What It Tells Us
Among first-time degree-seeking California Community College students enrolled in 2000-01, the majority (62 percent) completed at least 80 percent of the course credits attempted in their first year.
Why It's Important
Students who complete all the courses they attempt avoid having to repeat coursework, accumulate credits faster, and take less time to attain a credential or transfer than students who fail to complete some courses. Incomplete courses may result from a failing grade or withdrawal. Multiple studies have found that excessive course withdrawals may reduce the likelihood of completion and transfer.
About the Data
Degree-seeking students: include students who enrolled in more than six units during their first year.
The credit completion ratio was calculated as the number of credits earned divided by the number of credits attempted. Withdrawing from or failing a course constituted noncompletion.
Estimates are from student records data available in the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office Management Information Systems. The results are based on students who enrolled in one or more credit-bearing course and more than a total of six units during the 2000-01 academic year, excluding noncredit students and students concurrently enrolled in high school.