by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many Case Western first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore Case Western retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 93% students making it past their freshmen year, Case Western 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 Ohio, the average is 69.84%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Case Western | 93% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Ohio | 69.84% |
There were approximately 794 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
After four years 66% of the cohort graduated. After six years 82% had completed their degree, and 83% 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 Case Western graduation rate 82%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Case Western? The standard length of time for most students is 4.21 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 641 | 66% |
| Six Years | 794 | 82% |
| Eight Years | 13 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 161 | 17% |
Approximately 161 students or 17% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 161 students who did not complete their degree?
5 are still enrolled.
117 transferred to another institution.
Case Western lost contact with the remaining 44 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 3.1% |
| Transferred | 117 | 72.7% |
| Dropped Out | 44 | 27.3% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 88% |
| Black / African-American | 81% |
| Hispanic | 87% |
| International | 77% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 92% |
| Unknown | 89% |
| White | 86% |
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.
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 Case Western are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.
First-time / full-time students at Case Western Reserve University represent 93% of the students in the class of 2015, and 93.70% of Case Western bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 66%, first-time students in the Case Western class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Case Western graduation rate was 83%, and by the eight year mark, 84% 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.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | Case Western | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 66% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 83% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 84% | 47.82% |
144 first-time / full-time students or 16% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
108 transferred to another institution.
Case Western lost contact with the remaining 36 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 3.47% |
| Transferred | 108 | 75.00% |
| Dropped Out | 36 | 25.00% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Case Western first-time, part-time students.
61 Case Western students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 6.30% 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 77%, 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 77%.
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.
| Returning / Full-Time Completions | Case Western | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 77% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 77% | 55.07% |
14 non first-time / part-time students or 23% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
8 transferred to another institution.
Case Western lost contact with the remaining 6 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 8 | 57.14% |
| Dropped Out | 6 | 42.86% |
6 Case Western students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.62% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 50%, 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 50%.
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.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | Case Western | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 50% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 50% | 37.80% |
3 non first-time / part-time students or 50% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
1 transferred to another institution.
Case Western lost contact with the remaining 2 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 1 | 33.33% |
| Dropped Out | 2 | 66.67% |
