by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many C of C first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore C of C 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 80% students making it past their freshmen year, C of C 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 South Carolina, the average is 65.91%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| C of C | 80% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| South Carolina | 65.91% |
Of the 2,267 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
After four years 56% of the cohort graduated. After six years 66% had completed their degree, and 67% after eight years.
Any student who completes their bachelor's degree within six years is considered to have graduated on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This makes the offical C of C graduation rate 66%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at C of C? The standard length of time for most students is 4.15 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1,889 | 55% |
| Six Years | 2,267 | 66% |
| Eight Years | 30 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,116 | 33% |
Approximately 1116 students or 33% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1116 students who did not complete their degree?
8 are still enrolled.
845 transferred to another institution.
C of C lost contact with the remaining 258 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 0.7% |
| Transferred | 845 | 75.7% |
| Dropped Out | 258 | 23.1% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 50% |
| Asian | 71% |
| Black / African-American | 60% |
| Hispanic | 65% |
| International | 50% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 51% |
| Unknown | 100% |
| White | 67% |
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 C of C 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 College of Charleston represent 69% of the students in the class of 2015, and 71.42% of C of C bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 56%, first-time students in the C of C class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the C of C graduation rate was 69%, and by the eight year mark, 70% 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 | C of C | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 56% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 69% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 70% | 47.82% |
706 first-time / full-time students or 30% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
575 transferred to another institution.
C of C lost contact with the remaining 124 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 1.13% |
| Transferred | 575 | 81.44% |
| Dropped Out | 124 | 17.56% |
First-time / part-time students at College of Charleston represent 0.15% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 20%, first-time, part-time students in the C of C class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 20%.
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 Completions | C of C | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 20% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 20% | 23.72% |
4 first-time / part-time students or 80% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
4 transferred to another institution.
C of C lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 4 | 100.00% |
| Dropped Out | 0 | 0.00% |
967 C of C students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 28.23% 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 64%, 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 64%.
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 | C of C | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 64% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 64% | 55.07% |
343 non first-time / part-time students or 36% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
6 are still enrolled.
230 transferred to another institution.
C of C lost contact with the remaining 107 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 6 | 1.75% |
| Transferred | 230 | 67.06% |
| Dropped Out | 107 | 31.20% |
101 C of C students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 2.95% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 34%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 36%.
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 | C of C | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 34% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 36% | 37.80% |
63 non first-time / part-time students or 64% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
36 transferred to another institution.
C of C lost contact with the remaining 27 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 36 | 57.14% |
| Dropped Out | 27 | 42.86% |
