by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Roanoke 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.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 79% students making it past their freshmen year, Roanoke 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 Virginia, the average is 69.66%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Roanoke | 79% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Virginia | 69.66% |
How many of the estimated 431 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
After four years 62% of the cohort graduated. After six years 68% had completed their degree, and 68% after 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 Roanoke graduation rate 68%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Roanoke? The standard length of time for most students is 4.11 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 405 | 64% |
| Six Years | 431 | 68% |
| Eight Years | 2 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 201 | 32% |
Approximately 201 students or 32% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 201 students who did not complete their degree?
1 are still enrolled.
170 transferred to another institution.
Roanoke lost contact with the remaining 31 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.5% |
| Transferred | 170 | 84.6% |
| Dropped Out | 31 | 15.4% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 75% |
| Black / African-American | 63% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 61% |
| International | 86% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 63% |
| White | 71% |
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 Roanoke 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 Roanoke College represent 84% of the students in the class of 2015, and 83.29% of Roanoke bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 62%, first-time students in the Roanoke class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Roanoke graduation rate was 67%, and by the eight year mark, 67% 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 | Roanoke | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 62% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 67% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 67% | 47.82% |
174 first-time / full-time students or 33% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
147 transferred to another institution.
Roanoke lost contact with the remaining 27 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.57% |
| Transferred | 147 | 84.48% |
| Dropped Out | 27 | 15.52% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Roanoke first-time, part-time students.
96 Roanoke students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 15.09% 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 75%, 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 75%.
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 | Roanoke | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 75% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 75% | 55.07% |
24 non first-time / part-time students or 25% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
21 transferred to another institution.
Roanoke lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 21 | 87.50% |
| Dropped Out | 3 | 12.50% |
3 Roanoke students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.47% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 0%, 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 0%.
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.
3 non 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.
2 transferred to another institution.
Roanoke lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 2 | 66.67% |
| Dropped Out | 1 | 33.33% |
