by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at Friends 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 freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 67% students making it past their freshmen year, Friends University has freshmen retention rates similar to the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Kansas, the average is 65.77%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Friends University | 67% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Kansas | 65.77% |
Of the 411 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 19% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 46% of the students had graduated and after eight years 47% of this class completed their degree.
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 Friends University graduation rate 46%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Friends University? The standard length of time for most students is 4.32 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 346 | 39% |
| Six Years | 411 | 46% |
| Eight Years | 11 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 473 | 53% |
Approximately 473 students or 53% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 473 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
278 transferred to another institution.
Friends University lost contact with the remaining 189 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 278 | 58.8% |
| Dropped Out | 189 | 40.0% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Black / African-American | 50% |
| Hispanic | 14% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 47% |
| Unknown | 42% |
| White | 43% |
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 Friends University 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 Friends University represent 27% of the students in the class of 2015, and 19.95% of Friends University bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 19%, first-time students in the Friends University class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Friends University graduation rate was 34%, and by the eight year mark, 35% 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 | Friends University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 19% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 34% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 35% | 47.82% |
157 first-time / full-time students or 65% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
116 transferred to another institution.
Friends University lost contact with the remaining 40 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 116 | 73.89% |
| Dropped Out | 40 | 25.48% |
First-time / part-time students at Friends University represent 1.01% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 11%, first-time, part-time students in the Friends University class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 11%.
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 | Friends University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 11% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 11% | 23.72% |
8 first-time / part-time students or 89% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
2 transferred to another institution.
Friends University 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 | 2 | 25.00% |
| Dropped Out | 6 | 75.00% |
458 Friends University students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 51.17% 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 53%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 54%.
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 | Friends University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 53% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 54% | 55.07% |
212 non first-time / part-time students or 46% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
122 transferred to another institution.
Friends University lost contact with the remaining 87 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 1.42% |
| Transferred | 122 | 57.55% |
| Dropped Out | 87 | 41.04% |
185 Friends University students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 20.67% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 47%, 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 48%.
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 | Friends University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 47% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 48% | 37.80% |
96 non first-time / part-time students or 52% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
38 transferred to another institution.
Friends University lost contact with the remaining 56 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 2.08% |
| Transferred | 38 | 39.58% |
| Dropped Out | 56 | 58.33% |
