The American University Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

American University 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How long does it take to earn a degree at The American University? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.

• The American University Retention Rate
• The American University Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• The American University Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

The American University Retention Rate

Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.

With 85% students making it past their freshmen year, The American University has freshmen retention rates above the national average.

Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.

When looking at just colleges and universities in District of Columbia, the average is 78.47%.

The American University Graduation Rates

Of the 1,543 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

After four years 75% of the cohort graduated. After six years 78% had completed their degree, and 79% after eight years.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official The American University graduation rate 78%.

How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at The American University? The standard length of time for most students is 4.05 years.

The American University Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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The American University Drop Out Rate

Approximately 424 students or 21% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 424 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 297 transferred to another institution.

• The American University lost contact with the remaining 126 who we assumed dropped out.

The American University Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.

Traditional Students:

First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.

Non-Traditional Students:

Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.

The majority of students at The American University are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.

First-Time / Full-Time The American University Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at American University represent 79% of the students in the class of 2015, and 80.04% of The American University bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 75%, first-time students in the The American University class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the The American University graduation rate was 79%, and by the eight year mark, 80% of the cohort had completed their degree.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.

The American University First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time The American University Drop Out Rates

314 first-time / full-time students or 20% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 232 transferred to another institution.

• The American University lost contact with the remaining 81 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at American University represent 0.55% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 64%, first-time, part-time students in the The American University class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 64%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.

First-Time / Part-Time The American University Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time The American University Drop Out Rates

4 first-time / part-time students or 36% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• The American University lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

374 The American University students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 18.86% of the students in the class of 2015.

Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.

With a six year graduation rate of 75%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 76%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.

The American University Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time The American University Drop Out Rates

91 non first-time / part-time students or 24% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 56 transferred to another institution.

• The American University lost contact with the remaining 35 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

35 The American University students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 1.77% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 57%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 57%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.

The American University Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time The American University Drop Out Rates

15 non first-time / part-time students or 43% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 8 transferred to another institution.

• The American University lost contact with the remaining 7 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• Image Credit: By Samschoe under License