Elizabethtown Community and Technical College announced new student success rates that show long-term growth in graduation, retention and course completion rates.
“It’s about outcomes. We’re helping more students get here, develop plans for their futures, complete their academic programs and successfully transition to high-demand careers or bachelor’s degree programs,” ECTC President Dr. Juston Pate said.
The college’s graduation rate for 2024-25 was 58.7 percent, compared to the national average of 39.4 percent for two-year colleges. The rate measures the percentage of full-time college students — dual credit students are not included — who earn a credential within three years of first enrolling at the college. The new graduation rate is expected to place ECTC in the top 10 percent of two-year colleges.
The rate is down 0.8 percent from 2023-24, but the college is maintaining longer term gains. The graduation rate has been on the rise for several years, as it was 31 percent eight years ago.
It’s more than a number to the ECTC faculty, staff, students and the broader college community, Pate said.
“A graduation rate that has nearly doubled looks great on a graph, but how does it look for students and our community? It represents thousands of students who decided to chase their dreams and keep the promises they made to themselves and their families, finding pathways to better lives and making our community a better place,” he said.
ECTC officials noted long-term gains in other outcomes data such as retention and course completion. For example, the Fall 2024 course success rate climbed to 79.6 percent, a rate that has increased more than 12 points since 2017.
By ECTC
