As a regional public institution with University of Houston System (UHS), state, and
federal accountability responsibilities, UHD’s expectations of student success are
formulated within the context of UHS, state reporting, and the Texas Legislative Budget
Board (LBB) state budgeting process and peer benchmarks drawn from the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System (IPEDS). UHD uses these reports and processes to identify goals and outcomes
and related thresholds and targets for the institution’s student success metrics.
The assessment of student achievement plays a critical role in the University’s ongoing
improvement efforts, system and state reporting, and the institution’s planning and
budgeting processes. An integral part of the University of Houston-Downtown's (UHD) mission is to enhance
student retention and graduation and the University closely monitors student progress.
UHD is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on
Colleges (SACSCOC). One condition of SACSCOC accreditation requires that UHD provide
students, constituents, and the public with information about “its goals for student
achievement and the success of students in achieving those goals.” (SACSCOC Interpretation
of Core Requirement 8.1-Student Achievement). Definition: This data reflects students who transfer to UHD with at least 60 hours of completed coursework and enroll full-time in their first fall semester. The outcome reflects the one-year, fall-to-fall retention rate of transfer students
who began in Fall 2024 and remained enrolled in Fall 2025. Definition: The FTIC first-year graduation rate refers to the percentage of students classified
as first-time, full-time degree seeking undergraduates who graduate within six years.
The outcome reflects FTIC students who began in Fall 2019 and graduated in 2025-2026. Source: UHD Progress Card Threshold: UHD Progress Card baseline year (2007-2008) performance of 15% is the threshold for
this metric Goal: UHD’s Strategic Plan projects an increase in FTIC six-year graduation rates from
31% for the 2016 entry cohort to 48% for the 2021 cohort over the 2022-2027 period.
For the FTIC cohort that began in Fall 2019, the target is 39%. Definition: This data reflects students who transfer to UHD with at least 60 hours of completed coursework and enroll full-time in their first fall semester. The outcome reflects the graduation rate of transfer students who began in Fall 2021
and graduated in 2025-2026. Source: UHD Progress Card Threshold: UHD Progress Card baseline year (2007-2008) performance of 64% is the threshold for
this metric Goal: UHD’s Strategic Plan projects an increase in transfer four-year graduation rates from
69% for the 2018 entry cohort to 75% for the 2023 cohort. For the transfer cohort that began in Fall 2021, the target is 71%. Outcome: For transfer cohort that began in Fall 2021, the four-year graduation rate is 67%. This is above the threshold of acceptability
but below the goal. Definition: The number of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Source: UHD Fact Book Threshold: UHD Progress Card baseline year (2007-2008) performance of 1,949 is the threshold
for this metric. Goal: 2,900 Definition: The graduation rate for master’s students is calculated over a five-year period, starting
from their initial enrollment in the fall of an academic year and targeting graduation by the summer
term of the fifth year. Source: UHD Strategic Plan Threshold: UHD’s Strategic Plan identifies Master’s students entering UHD in Fall 2021 as the cohort setting the baseline graduation rate
at 70%. Goal: 75% Outcome: The Fall 2020 entry cohort’s 5-year graduation rate stands at 72%, This is above the threshold of acceptability but below the goal. Definition: This metric is defined as the percentage of the tests passed by teacher education
candidates. Source: UHD Progress Card, Texas Education Agency (TEA) Threshold: The threshold is 80% pass rate, determined by averaging TEA’s minimum performance standards: 75% for content-based TExES exams and 85% for TExES (PPR) pedagogy exam. Goal: 90% pass rate. Outcome: 91% for the 2025-2026 reporting year. This is above both the threshold and the goal. Threshold: 60% Goal: 90% Outcome: 51%, which is below the threshold and the goal. Definition: This metric combines both graduate and undergraduate SCHs. Source: UHD Progress Card Threshold: UHD Progress Card baseline year (2007-2008) performance of 93% is the threshold for this metric. Goal: 95%, which is informed by institutional data as well as data from the Texas Higher
Education Accountability System. Outcome: 97%, which exceeds the threshold and the goal. Definition: The percentage of graduates enrolled in graduate courses or employed in Texas within
one year of graduation. Source: UHD Progress Card and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Threshold: the threshold was set at 78.3%, which is the same as the Strategic Plan’s baseline
value. Goal: 81.3% by 2027-2028. Outcome: 79.5%, which is above the threshold and remains on track with the goal. Student Achievement at UHD
In The Business of Student Achievement
UHD’s Evaluation Measures for Student Success
Source: IPEDS and UHD Progress Card
Threshold: UHD Progress Card baseline year (2007-2008) performance of 56% is the threshold for
this metric.
Goal: UHD's Strategic Plan established a 70% retention target for FTICs who started in Fall 2024 and were retained in Fall 2025.
Outcome: The Fall 2024 FTIC cohort achieved a retention rate of 72% in Fall 2025. This is above both the threshold of acceptability and the goal. 
Source: UHD Progress Card
Threshold: UHD Progress Card baseline year (2007-2008) performance of 76% is the threshold
for this metric.
Goal: UHD's Strategic Plan established a 83% retention target for transfer students who started in Fall 2024 and were retained in Fall 2025.
Outcome: For the 2024 cohort of transfer students, the one-year retention rate is 86.25%.
This is above both the threshold of acceptability and the goal.
Outcome: For FTIC cohort that began in Fall 2019, the six-year graduation rate is 30%. This is above the threshold of acceptability
but below the goal.
Outcome: 2,932. This is above both the threshold and the goal.
Source: UHD Progress Card.
