by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at NC State? 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 94% students making it past their freshmen year, NC State 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 North Carolina, the average is 66.53%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| NC State | 94% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| North Carolina | 66.53% |
How many of the estimated 4,819 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
Four years after beginning their degree, 50% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 78% of the students had graduated and after eight years 80% 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 NC State graduation rate 78%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at NC State? The standard length of time for most students is 4.34 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 3,366 | 55% |
| Six Years | 4,819 | 78% |
| Eight Years | 91 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,230 | 20% |
Approximately 1230 students or 20% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1230 students who did not complete their degree?
18 are still enrolled.
847 transferred to another institution.
NC State lost contact with the remaining 351 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 18 | 1.5% |
| Transferred | 847 | 68.9% |
| Dropped Out | 351 | 28.5% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 69% |
| Asian | 88% |
| Black / African-American | 78% |
| Hawaiian | 67% |
| Hispanic | 84% |
| International | 74% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 73% |
| Unknown | 80% |
| White | 85% |
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 NC State 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 North Carolina State University represent 77% of the students in the class of 2015, and 77.28% of NC State bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 50%, first-time students in the NC State class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the NC State 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.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | NC State | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 50% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 79% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 80% | 47.82% |
936 first-time / full-time students or 20% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
18 are still enrolled.
689 transferred to another institution.
NC State lost contact with the remaining 218 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 18 | 1.92% |
| Transferred | 689 | 73.61% |
| Dropped Out | 218 | 23.29% |
First-time / part-time students at North Carolina State University represent 0.41% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 28%, first-time, part-time students in the NC State class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 28%.
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 | NC State | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 20% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 28% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 28% | 23.72% |
18 first-time / part-time students or 72% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
6 transferred to another institution.
NC State lost contact with the remaining 11 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 5.56% |
| Transferred | 6 | 33.33% |
| Dropped Out | 11 | 61.11% |
1256 NC State students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 20.46% 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 81%, 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 82%.
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 | NC State | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 81% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 82% | 55.07% |
226 non first-time / part-time students or 18% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
129 transferred to another institution.
NC State lost contact with the remaining 96 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.44% |
| Transferred | 129 | 57.08% |
| Dropped Out | 96 | 42.48% |
125 NC State students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 2.04% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 59%, 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 60%.
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 | NC State | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 59% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 60% | 37.80% |
50 non first-time / part-time students or 40% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
23 transferred to another institution.
NC State lost contact with the remaining 26 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 2.00% |
| Transferred | 23 | 46.00% |
| Dropped Out | 26 | 52.00% |
