When you choose a college degree program, you’re making an investment in your future. We believe you deserve to have access to data that may help inform your decision. For this reason, the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication publishes metrics related to student retention, graduation, career outcomes, scholarship awards, undergraduate enrollment, student course evaluations and median pay salaries on an annual basis.
Student Retention Rates
Retention rates show the percentage of students who remain at an institution or in a major after they begin coursework. High retention rates indicate student satisfaction with an institution or program.
| First Year | Second Year | Third Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entering Class | ISU | LAS | GSJC | ISU | LAS | GSJC | ISU | LAS | GSJC |
| 2014 | 86.4% | 82.5% | 81.2% | 80.1% | 75% | 76.8% | 77.5% | 71.7% | 73.7% |
| 2015 | 87.1% | 82.7% | 89.3% | 81% | 75.8% | 82.2% | 78.5% | 73% | 81.5% |
| 2016 | 86.5% | 82.2% | 88.1% | 79.5% | 74.2% | 84% | 77% | 71.8% | 79.1% |
| 2017 | 86.6% | 83.2% | 87.1% | 80.1% | 76% | 80% | 77.9% | 73.4% | 78.9% |
| 2018 | 86.3% | 83.4% | 87.8% | 81.2% | 77.4% | 85.9% | 78.7% | 74.5% | 83.1% |
| 2019 | 87.9% | 84.3% | 89.7% | 81.9% | 76.8% | 81.3% | 78.8% | 73% | 79.4% |
| 2020 | 86.9% | 82.8% | 81.8% | 81.2% | 76.5% | 76.6% | 79.3% | 74.9% | 74% |
| 2021 | 85.4% | 82.4% | 84.2% | 79.5% | 74.8% | 81.4% | 77.8% | 73.5% | 81.4% |
| 2022 | 87.5% | 84.5% | 83.6% | 81.6% | 78.4% | 76.3% | 79.4% | 75.4% | 74.5% |
| 2023 | 87.6% | 84.7% | 89.1% | 82.2% | 79.2% | 81% | |||
| 2024 | 88.4% | 86.5% | 92.5% | ||||||
- Percentages include all Greenlee School majors including: pre-advertising, pre-journalism and mass communication, advertising and journalism and mass communication. Public relations is included beginning in 2014. They are based on incoming freshman cohorts each fall.
- Data provided by Iowa State University Institutional Research.
- Updated August 12, 2026. This data is updated on an annual basis.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rates reflect a commitment to ensuring students successfully complete their degrees.
| Third Year | Fourth Year | Fifth Year | Sixth Year | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entering Class | ISU | LAS | GSJC | ISU | LAS | GSJC | ISU | LAS | GSJC | ISU | LAS | GSJC |
| 2014 | 14.4% | 14.7% | 24.3% | 53.6% | 53.4% | 66.2% | 71.8% | 66.4% | 73.7% | 74.3% | 68.7% | 75% |
| 2015 | 14% | 13.6% | 24.8% | 55.4% | 53.6% | 68.7% | 73.5% | 68.3% | 81.5% | 75.8% | 70.3% | 82.2% |
| 2016 | 14.6% | 14.2% | 20.8% | 55.3% | 55.7% | 69.4% | 72.1% | 67.9% | 76.3% | 74.2% | 69.8% | 76.3% |
| 2017 | 15.6% | 16.6% | 30.2% | 57.6% | 58.1% | 69.7% | 72.3% | 67.8% | 77% | 74.8% | 70% | 77.9% |
| 2018 | 14.8% | 15% | 22.4% | 58.9% | 58.4% | 73.8% | 72.9% | 68.7% | 77.5% | 75% | 70% | 78.5% |
| 2019 | 15.6% | 16.1% | 27.1% | 59.9% | 58.8% | 70% | 74.4% | 68.7% | 75.7% | 76.3% | 70% | 78.5% |
| 2020 | 16.7% | 16.6% | 22% | 61.9% | 60.5% | 64.9% | 74.8% | 71.4% | ||||
| 2021 | 15.2% | 17.5% | 34.2% | 60.6% | 61% | 78.5% | ||||||
| 2022 | 15.8% | 17.9% | 29% | |||||||||
- Graduation rates are calculated by dividing the number of graduating students by the number of students in a cohort. They are based on incoming freshman cohorts each fall.
- Data provided by Iowa State University Institutional Research.
- Updated August 12, 2026. This data is updated on an annual basis.
Additional Transparency Data
View additional transparency data related to career outcomes, scholarship awards, undergraduate enrollment, student course evaluations and more.
School Documents