Accreditation

As a Hispanic serving institution with a high proportion of students at or below the poverty line, Miami Dade College (MDC) seeks to apply student achievement measures to close the equity, racial, and gender gaps in educational attainment for minority students. Taken together, the five student achievement indicators selected represent a comprehensive measure of student success that MDC uses for monitoring its effectiveness:

Graduation Rate

The U.S. Department of Education graduation rates, reported through IPEDS, are calculated as the proportion of an incoming cohort of first-time students who start full-time in the fall term and who graduate within 150% of normal time to completion. MDC’s current IPEDS graduation rate (150% time) is 33%. The institutional goal is to continue to increase graduation rates for all undergraduate students, including students from historically underrepresented groups and low-income families.

  • Threshold of acceptability: 29%
  • Goal target: 39%
  • Achievement: 45%
Year Cohort Size Graduation Rate
2019 (Fall 2013 Cohort) 8,738 33%
2020 (Fall 2014 Cohort) 8,821 33%
2021 (Fall 2015 Cohort) 8,408 35%
2022 (Fall 2016 Cohort) 7,604 45%
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rate Component

Success Rate

Miami Dade College tracks success rates of undergraduate students as a measure of student achievement. The Florida Department of Education has developed a success rate metric that measures the proportion of an incoming cohort of first-time students who graduated, are still enrolled in good standing, or left an institution in good standing. Since Miami Dade College’s success rate is consistently higher than the success rate of the collective FCS institutions, the College uses its own trend data to set the threshold of acceptability and goal targets.

  • Threshold of acceptability: 85%
  • Goal target: 95%
  • Achievement: 86%
Year Success Rate
Fall 2015 Cohort 92%
Fall 2016 Cohort 91%
Fall 2017 Cohort 88%
Fall 2018 Cohort 86%
Source: Florida Department of Education PERA-M1P2

Retention Rate

Miami Dade College tracks fall-to-fall retention to determine student progression. Fall-to-fall retention rates are recognized as an industry standard and depict the students who continue enrollment in the subsequent academic year. MDC aspires to increase retention rates for all undergraduate students, including students from historically underrepresented groups and low-income families.

  • Threshold of acceptability: 58%
  • Goal target: 68%
  • Achievement: 67%
Year Cohort Size Retention Rate
Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 10,957 61%
Fall 2020 to Fall 2021 8,079 67%
Fall 2021 to Fall 2022 8,776 60%
Fall 2022 to Fall 2023 8,495 67%
Note: Figures include first-time-in-college AA, AS, or CCC seeking students who started in the fall term and enrolled in at least one credit course in the subsequent fall term or who graduated by the subsequent fall term.
Source: MDC Institutional Research analysis

Continuing Education Rate

Miami Dade College monitors the continuing education rate of associate in arts (AA) degree completers as a measure of student achievement. Since the MDC continuing education rate is higher than the average of the Florida College System institutions, the College uses its own trend data to set the threshold of acceptability and goal targets.

  • Threshold of acceptability: 65%
  • Goal target: 75%
  • Achievement: 68%
Continuing Education Rate for Associate in Arts Degree Completers
Year Continuing Education Rate
2017-2018 Completers 71%
2018-2019 Completers 71%
2019-2020 Completers 69%
2020-2021 Completers 68%
Source: Florida Department of Education FETPIP Florida College System Reports

Job Placement and Earnings

Miami Dade College monitors job placement rates for associate in science (AS) and baccalaureate degree completers as measures of student achievement. The general goal is to meet or exceed the placement rates of the College’s highest rates in the past five years.

AS Degree Job Placement Rate:

  • Threshold of acceptability: 81%
  • Goal target: 91%
  • Achievement: 85%
Job Placement Rate and Average Annual Earnings for Associate in Science Degree Completers
Year Job Placement Rate Earnings
2017-18 Completers 86% $48,960
2018-19 Completers 86% $50,496
2019-20 Completers 87% $56,616
2020-21 Completers 85% $63,037
Source: Florida Department of Education FETPIP Florida College System Vocational Reports

Baccalaureate Job Placement Rate:

  • Threshold of acceptability: 75%
  • Goal target: 85%
  • Achievement: 78%
Job Placement Rate and Average Annual Earnings for Baccalaureate Degree Completers
Year Job Placement Rate Earnings
2017-18 Completers 83% $56,312
2018-19 Completers 77% $57,832
2019-20 Completers 76% $64,240
2020-21 Completers 78% $66,264
Source: Florida Department of Education FETPIP Florida College System Vocational Reports