A "cohort" is a specific group of students established for tracking purposes. According to the Student Right-to-Know legislation, the graduation rate student (GRS) cohort is defined as all full-time first-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who entered in the fall or preceding summer session of a given year.

"Adjusted Cohort:" The legislation allows to remove (delete) the following students from the GRS cohort for calculations of graduation/retention rates:students who died or were totally and permanently disabled; those who left school to serve in the armed forces; those who left to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government, such as the Peace Corps; and those who left to serve on official church mission.