by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many Elmhurst first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore Elmhurst 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 81% students making it past their freshmen year, Elmhurst 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 Illinois, the average is 72.64%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Elmhurst | 81% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Illinois | 72.64% |
Of the 730 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
After four years 53% 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 Elmhurst graduation rate 66%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Elmhurst? The standard length of time for most students is 4.22 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 645 | 59% |
| Six Years | 730 | 66% |
| Eight Years | 6 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 364 | 33% |
Approximately 364 students or 33% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 364 students who did not complete their degree?
2 are still enrolled.
307 transferred to another institution.
Elmhurst lost contact with the remaining 54 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 0.5% |
| Transferred | 307 | 84.3% |
| Dropped Out | 54 | 14.8% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 83% |
| Black / African-American | 53% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 61% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 59% |
| Unknown | 86% |
| White | 71% |
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 Elmhurst 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 Elmhurst University represent 55% of the students in the class of 2015, and 53.70% of Elmhurst bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 53%, first-time students in the Elmhurst class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Elmhurst graduation rate was 64%, and by the eight year mark, 65% 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 | Elmhurst | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 53% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 64% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 65% | 47.82% |
212 first-time / full-time students or 35% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
185 transferred to another institution.
Elmhurst lost contact with the remaining 26 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 0.94% |
| Transferred | 185 | 87.26% |
| Dropped Out | 26 | 12.26% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Elmhurst first-time, part-time students.
442 Elmhurst students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 40.07% 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 72%, 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 72%.
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 | Elmhurst | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 72% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 72% | 55.07% |
122 non first-time / part-time students or 28% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
97 transferred to another institution.
Elmhurst lost contact with the remaining 23 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 1.64% |
| Transferred | 97 | 79.51% |
| Dropped Out | 23 | 18.85% |
50 Elmhurst students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 4.53% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 40%, 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 40%.
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 | Elmhurst | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 40% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 40% | 37.80% |
30 non first-time / part-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
25 transferred to another institution.
Elmhurst lost contact with the remaining 5 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 25 | 83.33% |
| Dropped Out | 5 | 16.67% |
