by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding NSU 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 66% students making it past their freshmen year, NSU 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 Oklahoma, the average is 65.20%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| NSU | 66% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Oklahoma | 65.20% |
How many of the estimated 1,157 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
After four years 13% of the cohort graduated. After six years 42% had completed their degree, and 44% after eight years.
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 NSU graduation rate 42%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at NSU? The standard length of time for most students is 4.70 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 888 | 32% |
| Six Years | 1,157 | 42% |
| Eight Years | 64 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,561 | 56% |
Approximately 1561 students or 56% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1561 students who did not complete their degree?
3 are still enrolled.
825 transferred to another institution.
NSU lost contact with the remaining 702 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 0.2% |
| Transferred | 825 | 52.9% |
| Dropped Out | 702 | 45.0% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 30% |
| Asian | 64% |
| Black / African-American | 19% |
| Hawaiian | 50% |
| Hispanic | 35% |
| International | 43% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 36% |
| Unknown | 50% |
| White | 39% |
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 NSU 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 Northeastern State University represent 34% of the students in the class of 2015, and 24.72% of NSU bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 13%, first-time students in the NSU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the NSU graduation rate was 30%, and by the eight year mark, 34% 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 | NSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 13% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 30% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 34% | 47.82% |
624 first-time / full-time students or 66% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
302 transferred to another institution.
NSU lost contact with the remaining 304 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 0.48% |
| Transferred | 302 | 48.40% |
| Dropped Out | 304 | 48.72% |
First-time / part-time students at Northeastern State University represent 2.84% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 4%, first-time, part-time students in the NSU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 5%.
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 | NSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 3% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 4% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 5% | 23.72% |
75 first-time / part-time students or 95% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
21 transferred to another institution.
NSU lost contact with the remaining 53 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.33% |
| Transferred | 21 | 28.00% |
| Dropped Out | 53 | 70.67% |
1018 NSU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 36.59% 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 60%.
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 | NSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 58% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 60% | 55.07% |
411 non first-time / part-time students or 40% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
229 transferred to another institution.
NSU lost contact with the remaining 174 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 1.95% |
| Transferred | 229 | 55.72% |
| Dropped Out | 174 | 42.34% |
739 NSU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 26.56% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 37%, 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 39%.
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 | NSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 37% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 39% | 37.80% |
451 non first-time / part-time students or 61% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
273 transferred to another institution.
NSU lost contact with the remaining 171 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 1.55% |
| Transferred | 273 | 60.53% |
| Dropped Out | 171 | 37.92% |
