| Term / Metric | Definition |
| Student Course Enrollment | Total course enrollments for the academic year. |
| Student Course Success Rate | Number of course enrollments completed successfully based on institutional passing criteria. |
| KSU Outcome | Successful Student Course Completion ÷ Student Course Enrollment × 100. |
| Cohort Size | The number of first-time, full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students entering in the fall term, consistent with IPEDS definitions. |
| Adjusted Cohort | Cohort size after removing allowable IPEDS exclusions (e.g., death, disability, military service). |
| Retention Rate | The percentage of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-seeking students who return the following fall, consistent with IPEDS definitions. |
| Graduation Rate (150%) | The percentage of the adjusted cohort completing within 150% of normal time (six years for bachelor’s programs), as defined by IPEDS. |
| Median (Peer Comparison) | The midpoint value of selected peer institutions for the given metric and year. |
| Census Enrollment | Official fall enrollment count reported at census date. |
| Goal Attainment (%) | Census Enrollment ÷ Enrollment Goal × 100. |
| Threshold of Acceptability | The minimum performance level established by the institution or benchmark (e.g., peer median or target goal). |
| Academic Year | Student Course Enrollment | Successful Student Course Completion | KSU Outcome |
| 2024-2025* | 16,539 | 14,321 | 87% |
| 2023-2024 | 14,190 | 12,625 | 89% |
| 2022-2023 | 13,996 | 12,121 | 87% |
| 2021-2022 | 16,214 | 13,171 | 81% |
| 2020-2021 | 16,819 | 12,998 | 77% |
| 2019-2020 | 15,518 | 13,178 | 85% |
| Academic Year | Cohort Size | # Retained | Retention Rate % | Comparison Median Retention Rate |
| 2023-2024 | 266 | 168 | 63% | 53% |
| 2022-2023 | 227 | 138 | 61% | 56% |
| 2021-2022 | 361 | 191 | 53% | 61% |
| 2020-2021 | 437 | 307 | 70% | 59% |
| 2019-2020 | 386 | 303 | 78% | 56% |
| Institution | 2023–2024 (Fall 2023) | 2022–2023 (Fall 2022) | 2021–2022 (Fall 2021) | 2020–2021 (Fall 2020) | 2019-2020 (Fall 2019) |
| Allen University | 45% | 90% | 58% | 62% | 50% |
| Elizabeth City State University | 77% | 74% | 76% | 73% | 76% |
| Huston-Tillotson University | 58% | 51% | 69% | 54% | 54% |
| Lane College | 44% | 45% | 61% | 56% | 55% |
| Livingstone College | 71% | 78% | 70% | 58% | 47% |
| Miles College | 56% | 56% | 57% | 60% | 55% |
| Mississippi Valley State University | 70% | 58% | 62% | 59% | 62% |
| Paine College | 54% | 54% | 61% | 63% | 18% |
| Shaw University | 52% | 56% | 57% | 58% | 67% |
| Southern University at New Orleans | 52% | 48% | 46% | 32% | 42% |
| Stillman College | 53% | 79% | 63% | 64% | 56% |
| Virginia University of Lynchburg | 75% | 75% | 75% | 70% | 75% |
| Wiley University | 50% | 32% | 54% | 34% | 70% |
| Median | 53% | 56% | 61% | 59% | 56% |
| Academic Year (Cohort) | Adjusted Cohort | Completers in 150% of Normal Time | Graduation Rate | IPEDS Peer Comparison Median Graduation Rate |
| 2021–2022 (2018 Cohort) | 279 | 89 | 32% | 25% |
| 2020–2021 (2017 Cohort) | 280 | 76 | 27% | 23% |
| 2019–2020 (2016 Cohort) | 192 | 62 | 32% | 26% |
| 2018-2019 (2015 Cohort) | 199 | 74 | 37% | 24% |
| 2017-2018 (2014 Cohort) | 280 | 84 | 30% | 25% |
| Institution | 2020–2021 (2017 Cohort) | 2021–2022 (2018 Cohort) | 2019–2020 (2016 Cohort) | 2018–2019 (2015 Cohort) | 2017–2018 (2014 Cohort) |
| Allen University | 13% | 13% | 8% | 23% | 19% |
| Elizabeth City State University | 48% | 44% | 42% | 40% | 43% |
| Huston-Tillotson University | 36% | 34% | 32% | 33% | 31% |
| Kentucky State University | 27% | 32% | 32% | 37% | 30% |
| Lane College | 17% | 18% | 18% | 24% | 23% |
| Livingstone College | 24% | 28% | 26% | 23% | 28% |
| Miles College | 26% | 16% | 26% | 24% | 24% |
| Mississippi Valley State University | 22% | 27% | 26% | 27% | 27% |
| Paine College | 22% | 14% | 18% | 8% | 8% |
| Shaw University | 20% | 22% | 14% | 16% | 19% |
| Southern University at New Orleans | 18% | 13% | 17% | 19% | 19% |
| Stillman College | 41% | 25% | 25% | 15% | 22% |
| Virginia University of Lynchburg | 26% | 38% | 87% | 11% | 27% |
| Wiley University | 20% | 24% | 24% | 27% | 31% |
| Median | 23% | 25% | 26% | 24% | 25% |