by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many RU first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore RU retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 60% students making it past their freshmen year, RU 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 Michigan, the average is 70.80%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| RU | 60% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Michigan | 70.80% |
Of the 226 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
After four years 19% of the cohort graduated. After six years 52% had completed their degree, and 54% 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 RU graduation rate 52%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at RU? The standard length of time for most students is 4.48 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 180 | 42% |
| Six Years | 226 | 52% |
| Eight Years | 6 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 201 | 46% |
Approximately 201 students or 46% 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.
125 transferred to another institution.
RU lost contact with the remaining 75 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.5% |
| Transferred | 125 | 62.2% |
| Dropped Out | 75 | 37.3% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Black / African-American | 33% |
| Hispanic | 25% |
| International | 50% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 38% |
| White | 46% |
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 RU 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 Rochester University represent 32% of the students in the class of 2015, and 24.78% of RU bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 19%, first-time students in the RU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the RU graduation rate was 40%, and by the eight year mark, 41% 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 | RU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 19% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 40% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 41% | 47.82% |
82 first-time / full-time students or 59% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
59 transferred to another institution.
RU lost contact with the remaining 23 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.22% |
| Transferred | 59 | 71.95% |
| Dropped Out | 23 | 28.05% |
First-time / part-time students at Rochester University represent 4.39% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 5%, first-time, part-time students in the RU 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 | RU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 5% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 5% | 23.72% |
18 first-time / part-time students or 95% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
10 transferred to another institution.
RU lost contact with the remaining 8 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 10 | 55.56% |
| Dropped Out | 8 | 44.44% |
163 RU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 37.64% 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 67%, 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 69%.
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 | RU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 67% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 69% | 55.07% |
51 non first-time / part-time students or 31% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
24 transferred to another institution.
RU lost contact with the remaining 26 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.96% |
| Transferred | 24 | 47.06% |
| Dropped Out | 26 | 50.98% |
111 RU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 25.64% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 53%, 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 55%.
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 | RU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 53% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 55% | 37.80% |
50 non first-time / part-time students or 45% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
32 transferred to another institution.
RU lost contact with the remaining 18 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 32 | 64.00% |
| Dropped Out | 18 | 36.00% |
