by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Mercyhurst 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 80% students making it past their freshmen year, Mercyhurst 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 Pennsylvania, the average is 73.24%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Mercyhurst | 80% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Pennsylvania | 73.24% |
Of the 499 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
63% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 69% in six years, and 69% in eight years.
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 Mercyhurst graduation rate 69%.
The average Mercyhurst student takes 4.15 years to graduate with their bachelors.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 460 | 63% |
| Six Years | 499 | 69% |
| Eight Years | 2 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 225 | 31% |
Approximately 225 students or 31% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 225 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
103 transferred to another institution.
Mercyhurst lost contact with the remaining 121 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 103 | 45.8% |
| Dropped Out | 121 | 53.8% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 57% |
| Asian | 82% |
| Black / African-American | 51% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 54% |
| International | 78% |
| Unknown | 38% |
| White | 72% |
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 Mercyhurst 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 students at Mercyhurst University represent 92% of the students in the class of 2015, and 92.38% of Mercyhurst bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 63%, first-time students in the Mercyhurst class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Mercyhurst graduation rate was 69%, and by the eight year mark, 69% 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 | Mercyhurst | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 63% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 69% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 69% | 47.82% |
207 first-time / full-time students or 31% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
103 transferred to another institution.
Mercyhurst lost contact with the remaining 104 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 103 | 49.76% |
| Dropped Out | 104 | 50.24% |
First-time / part-time students at Mercyhurst University represent 0.14% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 100%, first-time, part-time students in the Mercyhurst class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 100%.
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 | Mercyhurst | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 100% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 100% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 100% | 23.72% |
53 Mercyhurst students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 7.28% 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 66%, 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 66%.
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 | Mercyhurst | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 66% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 66% | 55.07% |
18 non first-time / part-time students or 34% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
0 transferred to another institution.
Mercyhurst lost contact with the remaining 17 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 5.56% |
| Transferred | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dropped Out | 17 | 94.44% |
2 Mercyhurst students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.27% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 100%, 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 100%.
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 | Mercyhurst | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 100% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 100% | 37.80% |
