by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many SMCC first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore SMCC 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 65% students making it past their freshmen year, SMCC 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 Mississippi, the average is 70.78%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| SMCC | 65% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Mississippi | 70.78% |
Of the 423 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
32% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 32% in six years, and 34% in 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 SMCC graduation rate 32%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 394 | 30% |
| Six Years | 423 | 32% |
| Eight Years | 19 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 875 | 66% |
Approximately 875 students or 66% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 875 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
404 transferred to another institution.
SMCC lost contact with the remaining 456 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 404 | 46.2% |
| Dropped Out | 456 | 52.1% |
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 SMCC 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 Southwest Mississippi Community College represent 60% of the students in the class of 2015, and 65.96% of SMCC bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 32%, first-time students in the SMCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the SMCC graduation rate was 35%, and by the eight year mark, 37% 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 | SMCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 32% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 35% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 37% | 47.82% |
502 first-time / full-time students or 63% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
226 transferred to another institution.
SMCC lost contact with the remaining 266 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 226 | 45.02% |
| Dropped Out | 266 | 52.99% |
First-time / part-time students at Southwest Mississippi Community College represent 8.20% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 22%, first-time, part-time students in the SMCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 25%.
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 | SMCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 20% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 22% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 25% | 23.72% |
81 first-time / part-time students or 75% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
56 transferred to another institution.
SMCC lost contact with the remaining 25 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 56 | 69.14% |
| Dropped Out | 25 | 30.86% |
298 SMCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 22.63% 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 31%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 32%.
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 | SMCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 31% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 32% | 55.07% |
202 non first-time / part-time students or 68% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
80 transferred to another institution.
SMCC lost contact with the remaining 117 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 2.48% |
| Transferred | 80 | 39.60% |
| Dropped Out | 117 | 57.92% |
117 SMCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 8.88% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 23%, 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 23%.
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 | SMCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 23% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 23% | 37.80% |
90 non first-time / part-time students or 77% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
42 transferred to another institution.
SMCC lost contact with the remaining 48 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 42 | 46.67% |
| Dropped Out | 48 | 53.33% |
