by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many SUNY Empire first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore SUNY Empire retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 65% students making it past their freshmen year, SUNY Empire 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 New York, the average is 73.51%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| SUNY Empire | 65% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| New York | 73.51% |
Of the 2,307 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
15% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 43% in six years, and 46% in eight years.
The official graduation rate of SUNY Empire is 43%. 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 average length of time it takes an SUNY Empire undergraduate student to complete their bachelor's degree is 4.42 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1,721 | 32% |
| Six Years | 2,307 | 43% |
| Eight Years | 144 | 3% |
| Did Not Complete | 2,915 | 54% |
Approximately 2915 students or 54% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2915 students who did not complete their degree?
1 are still enrolled.
974 transferred to another institution.
SUNY Empire lost contact with the remaining 1893 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 974 | 33.4% |
| Dropped Out | 1,893 | 64.9% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Black / African-American | 28% |
| Hispanic | 32% |
| International | 25% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 67% |
| White | 24% |
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 SUNY Empire 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 SUNY Empire State College represent 10% of the students in the class of 2015, and 4.94% of SUNY Empire bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 15%, first-time students in the SUNY Empire class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the SUNY Empire graduation rate was 22%, and by the eight year mark, 24% 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 | SUNY Empire | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 15% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 22% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 24% | 47.82% |
402 first-time / full-time students or 76% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
124 transferred to another institution.
SUNY Empire lost contact with the remaining 272 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.25% |
| Transferred | 124 | 30.85% |
| Dropped Out | 272 | 67.66% |
First-time / part-time students at SUNY Empire State College represent 8.85% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 47%, first-time, part-time students in the SUNY Empire class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 52%.
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 | SUNY Empire | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 6% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 47% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 52% | 23.72% |
228 first-time / part-time students or 48% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
37 transferred to another institution.
SUNY Empire lost contact with the remaining 187 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 1.75% |
| Transferred | 37 | 16.23% |
| Dropped Out | 187 | 82.02% |
2361 SUNY Empire students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 43.98% 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 45%, 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 46%.
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 | SUNY Empire | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 45% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 46% | 55.07% |
1269 non first-time / part-time students or 54% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
17 are still enrolled.
509 transferred to another institution.
SUNY Empire lost contact with the remaining 743 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 17 | 1.34% |
| Transferred | 509 | 40.11% |
| Dropped Out | 743 | 58.55% |
2005 SUNY Empire students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 37.35% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 46%, 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 49%.
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 | SUNY Empire | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 46% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 49% | 37.80% |
1016 non first-time / part-time students or 51% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
21 are still enrolled.
304 transferred to another institution.
SUNY Empire lost contact with the remaining 691 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 21 | 2.07% |
| Transferred | 304 | 29.92% |
| Dropped Out | 691 | 68.01% |
