In compliance with the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-542), it is the policy of our college district to make available its completion and transfer rates to all current and prospective students. Beginning in Fall 2021, a cohort of all certificate-, degree-, and transfer-seeking first-time, full-time students were tracked over a three year period. Their completion and transfer rates are listed above. These rates do not represent the success rates of the entire student population at the College nor do they account for student outcomes occurring after this three year tracking period.
Based upon the cohort defined above, a Completer is a student who attained a certificate or degree or became 'transfer prepared' during a three year period, from Fall 2021 to Spring 2024. Students who have completed 60 transferable units with a GPA of 2.0 or better are considered 'transfer prepared '. Students who transferred to another post-secondary institution, prior to attaining a degree, certificate, or becoming 'transfer prepared' during a five semester period, from Spring 2022 to Spring 2024, are transfer students.
Completion Rate: A student is included in the Completion Rate if they attained a certificate or degree or became “transfer prepared” within the three-year period. Transfer-prepared is defined as having completed 60 transferable units with a GPA of 2.0 or better.
Transfer Rate: A student is included in the Transfer Rate if, within the three-year tracking period, they transferred to another postsecondary institution prior to receiving a certificate or degree or becoming “transfer-prepared”.
The table below compares Golden West College’s Completion and Transfer Rates to the statewide community college average for Fall 2021 Cohort.
| GWC | State Wide | |
| Completion Rate | 49.06% | 38.73% |
| Transfer Rate | 10.03% | 9.49% |
Data Source: California Community Colleges Student Right-To-Know Rate Disclosure Website, http://srtk.cccco.edu/index.asp. This website includes information on the methodology, interpretation, statewide and other California Community Colleges completion rates and transfer rates.
Graduation rates of full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates within 150% of normal time (i.e. 3 years) to program completion, by gender and race/ethnicity and transfer out-rate for the 2020 cohort.
| Overall Graduation Rate | Rate |
| Total | 45% |
| Men | 41% |
| Women | 48% |
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Asian | 58% |
| Black or African American | 37% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 33% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 33% |
| White | 55% |
| Two or more races | 38% |
| Race/ethnicity unknown | 41% |
| Nonresident alien | 52% |
| Transfer out-rate | 8% |
Graduation rates are based on the student’s completion status as of August 31, 2023.
Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics - Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) – Retention and Graduation: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/institutionprofile.aspx?unitId=115126&goToReportId=6
