Peer College Data

Central Oregon Community College has identified four national and three regional peer colleges. These groups enable COCC to present outcomes in the context and, in comparison to, similar institutions.

National Peer Group

The college's National Peer Group consists of four colleges identified as being similar to COCC with regard to enrollment (size), highest degree offered (associate degree), degree of urbanization (midsize city) and several other identifiers also reported in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

College Name	Fall 2024 Enrollment
Gavilan College	6,083
Iowa Western Community College	5,540
Gulf Coast State College	5,426
Hawkeye Community College	5,120
Central Oregon Community College	4,332

Select a measure to see how COCC compares with its national peers:

Fall-to-Fall Retention

Continued enrollment from a student’s first fall term to the following fall is a key measure of academic momentum and a strong predictor of future goal attainment.

From fall 2023 to fall 2024, full-time student retention rates among the four identified peers ranged from 57% to 69%. Two colleges reported higher full-time retention rates than COCC’s 62%. Among part-time students, retention rates ranged from 37% to 44%, with COCC having the highest part-time student retention rate.

Full-time first-time students
Fall Cohort	Peer Range	COCC	Peers with higher rates
2023-24	57% - 69%	62%	2
2022-23	58% - 75%	59%	2
2021-22	55% - 78%	57%	2
2020-21	59% - 70%	59%	3
2019-20	50% - 65%	50%	3

Part-time first-time students
Fall Cohort	Peer Range	COCC	Peers with higher rates
2023-24	37% - 44%	44%	0
2022-23	34% - 42%	42%	0
2021-22	30% - 72%	40%	2
2020-21	29% - 45%	41%	1
2019-20	30% - 56%	33%	2

Data source: IPEDS, Fall Enrollment Reports, updated Sept. 10, 2026

Graduation and Transfer Rate

Many students attend college with the intention to earn a credential, prepare for transfer or both. The combined graduation and transfer rate is the percentage of a fall first-time, full-time student cohort pursuing a college credential who complete a COCC degree/certificate or who transfer without a COCC credential within a three-year period.

Approximately 46% of first-time college degree/certificate-seeking students enrolled full-time fall 2021, completed a COCC credential or transferred by fall 2024. Combined graduation transfer rates among national peers ranged from a low of 50% to a high of 62% and all national peers had a higher graduation transfer rate than COCC.

3-Year Graduation and Transfer Rate Combined
Fall Cohort	Peer Range	COCC	Peers with higher rates
2021-24	50% - 62%	46%	4
2020-23	42% - 63%	48%	3
2019-22	39% - 55%	43%	3
2018-21	41% - 70%	47%	2
2017-20	38% - 51%	50%	1

Graduation Rate

Approximately 25% of the Fall 2021 cohort completed a COCC credential by Fall 2023. National peer institutions all have higher graduation rates.

3-Year Graduation Rate
Fall Cohort	Peer Range	COCC	Peers with higher rates
2021-24	40% - 43%	25%	4
2020-23	31% - 45%	25%	4
2019-22	32% - 38%	22%	4
2018-21	28% - 63%	23%	4
2017-20	25% - 40%	24%	4

Transfer rate (No Degree)

Approximately 27% of the Fall 2021 cohort transferred by Fall 2023 before completing a COCC degree or certificate. National peer institutions all have lower transfer rates.

3-Year Transfer Rate
Fall Cohort	Peer Range	COCC	Peers with higher rates
2021-24	8% - 22%	21%	1
2020-23	7% - 19%	23%	0
2019-22	7% - 19%	21%	0
2018-21	7% - 20%	24%	0
2017-20	7% - 22%	26%	0

Data Source: IPEDS, Graduation Rates (150% time) Report

Regional Peer Group

The Regional Peer Group consists of colleges located in Oregon with similar enrollment to COCC. These peer institutions were originally identified by the Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) as part of Oregon's statewide Guided Pathways work.

College Name	Fall 2024 Enrollment
Lane Community College	6,810
Linn-Benton Community College	5,242
Central Oregon Community College	4,332
Umpqua Community College	2,582

Select a measure to see how COCC compares with its regional peers:

Fall-to-Winter Retention

First-term retention helps COCC measure whether students are making early progress towards their educational goals.

The average Fall 2024 to Winter 2025 first-time student retention rates among regional peers was 76% and COCC's 74% has remained consistent over the last few years. The reporting lag time is due to the established data submission calendar.

Data Source: Oregon Community College Student Success Dashboard

Fall-to-Fall Retention

Continued enrollment from a student's first fall term to the following fall is a key measure of academic momentum and a stronger predictor of future goal attainment.

From Fall 2023 to Fall 2024, full-time student retention rates among regional peers ranged from 64% to 67% with two peer colleges reporting a higher retention rate than COCC. The retention of students enrolled part-time ranged from 41% to 42% while COCC reported the highest part-time retention rate.

Full-time first-time students
Fall Cohort	Peer Range	COCC	Peers with higher rates
2023-24	64% - 67%	62%	2
2022-23	59% - 65%	59%	2
2021-22	40% - 56%	57%	0
2020-21	49% - 53%	59%	0
2019-20	45% - 56%	50%	2

Part-time first-time students
Fall Cohort	Peer Range	COCC	Peers with higher rates
2023-24	41% - 42%	44%	0
2022-23	44% - 47%	42%	3
2021-22	24% - 46%	40%	2
2020-21	30% - 54%	41%	1
2019-20	31% - 49%	33%	1

Data source: IPEDS, Fall Enrollment Reports, updated Sept. 10, 2026

Graduation and Transfer Rate

Approximately 46% of first-time college degree-seeking students enrolled full-time Fall 2021, completed a COCC credential or transferred by fall 2024. Combined graduation transfer rates among regional peers ranged from a low of 38% to a high of 46% and no other regional peer colleges had a higher combined rate than COCC.

3-Year Graduation and Transfer Rate Combined
Fall Cohort	Peer Range	COCC
2021-24	38% - 46%	46%
2020-23	39% - 46%	48%
2019-22	31% - 43%	43%
2018-21	35% - 39%	47%
2017-20	32% - 39%	50%

Graduation Rate

Approximately 25% of the fall 2021 cohort completed a COCC credential by Fall 2024. Regional peers, on average, had similar rates.

3-Year Graduation Rate
Fall Cohort	Peer Range	COCC	Peers with higher rates
2021-24	20% - 31%	25%	2
2020-23	22% - 32%	25%	1
2019-22	22% - 25%	22%	2
2018-21	20% - 26%	23%	2
2017-20	21% - 28%	24%	1

Transfer rate (No Degree)

An estimated 21% of the fall 2021 cohort transferred by fall 2024 before completing a COCC degree or certificate. No other regional peer colleges had a higher transfer rate than COCC.

3-Year Transfer Rate
Fall Cohort	Peer Range	COCC
2021-24	14% - 18%	21%
2020-23	14% - 19%	23%
2019-22	9% - 19%	21%
2018-21	11% - 18%	24%
2017-20	11% - 12%	26%

Data Source: IPEDS, Graduation Rates (150% time) Report

Tuition and Fees

For more information on the tuition and fees of regional peers, please view the Strategic Plan Assessment.

Employee Retention

Employee Turnover Rate

Nationally, the College and University Personnel Administration (CUPA) Higher Education Retention Survey (updated May 2024) indicates that overall turnover of faculty and staff combined in 2023-24 was 14%. COCC turnover in 2023-24 was higher than pre-pandemic rates (approximately 12%), but lower than the 16% high of 2022-23.

Awards, Recognition and Professional Development

COCC uses the comparator institution data provided by Modern Think, the organization that coordinates the Great Colleges to Work For (GCTWF) survey. This data is aggregated from other, similarly sized community colleges who administered the survey, providing an average score across all participating institutions.

2024 Great Colleges to Work For Survey Results
Question	COCC	Peer Colleges
I am regularly recognized for my contributions.	67% - Good	59% - Fair
Our recognition and award programs are meaningful to me.	47% - Needs Attention	55% - Fair
I am given the opportunity to develop my skills at this institution.	76% - Excellent	77% - Excellent
I have access to the training I need to do my job well.	69% - Good	72% - Good

Data Source: Great Colleges To Work For Survey