HCC Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Hillsborough Community College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

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

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

HCC Retention Rate

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

With 60% students making it past their freshmen year, HCC 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 Florida, the average is 70.38%.

HCC Graduation Rates

How many of the estimated 2,628 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?

Four years after beginning their degree, 34% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 30% of the students had graduated and after eight years 31% of this class completed their degree.

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 HCC graduation rate 30%.

HCC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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HCC Drop Out Rate

Approximately 6021 students or 69% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 6021 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1810 transferred to another institution.

• HCC lost contact with the remaining 4048 who we assumed dropped out.

HCC 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 HCC 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 HCC Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Hillsborough Community College represent 45% of the students in the class of 2015, and 57.08% of HCC bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 34%, first-time students in the HCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the HCC graduation rate was 38%, and by the eight year mark, 39% 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.

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

First-Time / Full-Time HCC Drop Out Rates

2422 first-time / full-time students or 61% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 680 transferred to another institution.

• HCC lost contact with the remaining 1656 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Hillsborough Community College represent 29.58% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 19%, first-time, part-time students in the HCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 21%.

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 HCC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time HCC Drop Out Rates

2043 first-time / part-time students or 79% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 62 are still enrolled.

• 484 transferred to another institution.

• HCC lost contact with the remaining 1497 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

988 HCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 11.24% 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 33%, 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 34%.

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.

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

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

653 non first-time / part-time students or 66% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 4 are still enrolled.

• 285 transferred to another institution.

• HCC lost contact with the remaining 364 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

1207 HCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 13.73% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 24%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 25%.

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.

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

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

903 non first-time / part-time students or 75% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 11 are still enrolled.

• 361 transferred to another institution.

• HCC lost contact with the remaining 531 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