Claremont Graduate University

What are the graduation rates for students at Claremont Graduate University?

The familiar four- and six-year graduation rates used to compare bachelor's-degree institutions do not provide a meaningful completion measure for CGU's graduate programs. Those rates generally follow defined cohorts of first-time, full-time undergraduates, a population that does not describe this graduate university.

A more useful program-level question is how long students typically take to finish a particular master's or doctoral degree. Doctoral timelines may depend on examinations, dissertation research and funding; professional programs may follow a more prescribed sequence. Applicants can ask their prospective department for recent completion figures, the population and entry years behind them, and whether part-time students are included.

What is the earning potential for graduates at Claremont Graduate University?

No single earnings figure should be treated as the expected salary from a CGU degree. Outcomes can vary sharply by field, prior work experience, location and whether a graduate pursues academic, nonprofit, public-sector or private-sector work.

When comparing published earnings statistics, applicants should check who was counted and when earnings were measured. A figure for federally aided former students, for example, is not necessarily a figure for all graduates of a specific program; a mean is also different from a median. Program-level employment information, typical job titles and the amount a student would need to borrow offer more context than an institution-wide salary claim. CGU's career support can assist a job search, but it is not an employment outcome.