Spelman Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Spelman College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Are students coming back to Spelman after their first year? Are Spelman students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.

• Spelman Retention Rate
• Spelman Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• Spelman Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Spelman Retention Rate

The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.

With 89% students making it past their freshmen year, Spelman 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 Georgia, the average is 65.40%.

Spelman Graduation Rates

How many of the estimated 448 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?

71% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 75% in six years, and 76% 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 Spelman graduation rate 75%.

How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Spelman? The standard length of time for most students is 4.13 years.

Spelman Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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Spelman Drop Out Rate

Approximately 143 students or 24% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 143 students who did not complete their degree?

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 101 transferred to another institution.

• Spelman lost contact with the remaining 40 who we assumed dropped out.

Spelman Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

First-time, full-time students, under the age of 25 are known as traditional students. These students are more likely to graduate in four years than so called 'non-traditional' students that includes part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. Some schools cater to non-traditional students and it may affect their overall graduation rates.

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 Spelman are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

How does this school do graduating the type of student you are most concerned bout?

First-Time / Full-Time Spelman Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Spelman College represent 89% of the students in the class of 2015, and 89.06% of Spelman bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 71%, first-time students in the Spelman class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the Spelman graduation rate was 75%, and by the eight year mark, 76% 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.

Spelman First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time Spelman Drop Out Rates

126 first-time / full-time students or 24% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 90 transferred to another institution.

• Spelman lost contact with the remaining 35 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Spelman College represent 0.33% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 50%, first-time, part-time students in the Spelman class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 50%.

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 Spelman Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time Spelman Drop Out Rates

1 first-time / part-time students or 50% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• Spelman lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

54 Spelman students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 9.03% 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 83%, 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 83%.

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.

Spelman Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time Spelman Drop Out Rates

9 non first-time / part-time students or 17% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 5 transferred to another institution.

• Spelman lost contact with the remaining 4 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

11 Spelman students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 1.84% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 36%, 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 36%.

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.

Spelman Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time Spelman Drop Out Rates

7 non first-time / part-time students or 64% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 5 transferred to another institution.

• Spelman lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• Image Credit: By Energy.gov under License