by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at PLU? 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.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 80% students making it past their freshmen year, PLU 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 Washington, the average is 73.95%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| PLU | 80% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Washington | 73.95% |
Of the 722 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
57% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 70% in six years, and 70% in eight years.
The official graduation rate of PLU is 70%. This is the percentage of students who completed their degree within 150% of the published time. That means six years for a standard bachelor's degree program.
The typical PLU student takes 4.16 years to complete their bachelor's degree.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 609 | 59% |
| Six Years | 722 | 70% |
| Eight Years | 7 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 306 | 30% |
Approximately 306 students or 30% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 306 students who did not complete their degree?
1 are still enrolled.
242 transferred to another institution.
PLU lost contact with the remaining 63 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.3% |
| Transferred | 242 | 79.1% |
| Dropped Out | 63 | 20.6% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 80% |
| Asian | 81% |
| Black / African-American | 31% |
| Hawaiian | 50% |
| Hispanic | 74% |
| International | 50% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 62% |
| White | 73% |
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.
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 PLU are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.
First-time / full-time students at Pacific Lutheran University represent 73% of the students in the class of 2015, and 72.99% of PLU bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 57%, first-time students in the PLU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the PLU graduation rate was 70%, and by the eight year mark, 71% 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 | PLU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 57% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 70% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 71% | 47.82% |
220 first-time / full-time students or 29% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
182 transferred to another institution.
PLU lost contact with the remaining 37 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.45% |
| Transferred | 182 | 82.73% |
| Dropped Out | 37 | 16.82% |
First-time / part-time students at Pacific Lutheran University represent 0.10% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 100%, first-time, part-time students in the PLU 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 | PLU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 100% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 100% | 23.72% |
270 PLU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 26.04% 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 69%, 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 70%.
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 | PLU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 69% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 70% | 55.07% |
81 non first-time / part-time students or 30% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
57 transferred to another institution.
PLU lost contact with the remaining 24 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 57 | 70.37% |
| Dropped Out | 24 | 29.63% |
12 PLU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 1.16% of the students in the class of 2015.
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.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 58%.
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 | PLU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 58% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 58% | 37.80% |
5 non first-time / part-time students or 42% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
3 transferred to another institution.
PLU lost contact with the remaining 2 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 3 | 60.00% |
| Dropped Out | 2 | 40.00% |
