Hope Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Hope College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Make an informed decision about your education by understanding Hope retention and graduation rates. First year retention rates let you know how many first-time, full-time students students come back for their second year. Graduation rates tell you how many students complete their degree and how long it takes.

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

Hope Retention Rate

The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.

With 87% students making it past their freshmen year, Hope 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 Michigan, the average is 70.80%.

Hope Graduation Rates

How many of the estimated 766 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?

Four years after beginning their degree, 65% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 78% of the students had graduated and after eight years 79% 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 Hope graduation rate 78%.

The average Hope student takes 4.10 years to graduate with their bachelors.

Hope Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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Hope Drop Out Rate

Approximately 207 students or 21% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 207 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 40 transferred to another institution.

• Hope lost contact with the remaining 167 who we assumed dropped out.

Hope Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

First-time, full-time students, under the age of 25 are known as traditional students. These students are more likely to graduate in four years than so called 'non-traditional' students that includes part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. Some schools cater to non-traditional students and it may affect their overall graduation rates.

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 Hope are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

How does this school do graduating the type of student you are most concerned bout?

First-Time / Full-Time Hope Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Hope College represent 90% of the students in the class of 2015, and 91.25% of Hope bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 65%, first-time students in the Hope class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the Hope graduation rate was 79%, and by the eight year mark, 80% 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.

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

First-Time / Full-Time Hope Drop Out Rates

178 first-time / full-time students or 20% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 35 transferred to another institution.

• Hope lost contact with the remaining 143 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Hope College represent 0.10% of the students in the class of 2015.

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

First-Time / Part-Time Hope 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.

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

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

93 Hope students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 9.46% 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 71%, 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.

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

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

26 non first-time / part-time students or 28% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 4 transferred to another institution.

• Hope lost contact with the remaining 22 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

3 Hope students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.31% of the students in the class of 2015.

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.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 33%.

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.

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

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

2 non first-time / part-time students or 67% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• Hope lost contact with the remaining 1 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

• Image Credit: By Trenner1945 under License