Harding Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Harding University 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How many Harding first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore Harding retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.

• Harding Retention Rate
• Harding 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
• Harding Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Harding Retention Rate

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

With 87% students making it past their freshmen year, Harding 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 Arkansas, the average is 66.23%.

Harding Graduation Rates

Of the 867 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

46% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 64% in six years, and 65% in eight years.

The official graduation rate of Harding is 64%. This is the percentage of students who completed their degree within 150% of the published time. That means six years for a standard bachelor's degree program.

The average length of time it takes an Harding undergraduate student to complete their bachelor's degree is 4.34 years.

Harding Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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Harding Drop Out Rate

Approximately 477 students or 35% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 477 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 364 transferred to another institution.

• Harding lost contact with the remaining 110 who we assumed dropped out.

Harding 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 Harding 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 Harding Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Harding University represent 76% of the students in the class of 2015, and 78.09% of Harding bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 46%, first-time students in the Harding class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the Harding graduation rate was 66%, and by the eight year mark, 67% 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.

Harding First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time Harding Drop Out Rates

339 first-time / full-time students or 33% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 268 transferred to another institution.

• Harding lost contact with the remaining 68 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Harding University represent 0.07% of the students in the class of 2015.

First-Time / Part-Time Harding Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time Harding Drop Out Rates

1 first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 0 transferred to another institution.

• Harding lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

302 Harding students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 22.34% 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 58%, 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 58%.

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.

Harding Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time Harding Drop Out Rates

128 non first-time / part-time students or 42% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 89 transferred to another institution.

• Harding lost contact with the remaining 39 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

25 Harding students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 1.85% of the students in the class of 2015.

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.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 64%.

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.

Harding Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time Harding Drop Out Rates

9 non 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.

• 7 transferred to another institution.

• Harding lost contact with the remaining 2 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