by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Montana Western 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 73% students making it past their freshmen year, Montana Western 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 Montana, the average is 66.19%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Montana Western | 73% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Montana | 66.19% |
Of the 221 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
After four years 25% of the cohort graduated. After six years 43% had completed their degree, and 45% after 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 Montana Western graduation rate 43%.
The typical Montana Western student takes 4.64 years to complete their bachelor's degree.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 158 | 31% |
| Six Years | 221 | 43% |
| Eight Years | 9 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 283 | 55% |
Approximately 283 students or 55% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 283 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
142 transferred to another institution.
Montana Western lost contact with the remaining 136 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 142 | 50.2% |
| Dropped Out | 136 | 48.1% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 44% |
| Asian | 60% |
| Black / African-American | 33% |
| Hispanic | 33% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 50% |
| Unknown | 40% |
| White | 47% |
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 Montana Western 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 The University of Montana - Western represent 53% of the students in the class of 2015, and 50.23% of Montana Western bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 25%, first-time students in the Montana Western class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Montana Western graduation rate was 41%, and by the eight year mark, 43% 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 | Montana Western | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 25% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 41% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 43% | 47.82% |
157 first-time / full-time students or 57% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
86 transferred to another institution.
Montana Western lost contact with the remaining 70 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 86 | 54.78% |
| Dropped Out | 70 | 44.59% |
First-time / part-time students at The University of Montana - Western represent 3.31% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 12%, first-time, part-time students in the Montana Western class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 24%.
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 | Montana Western | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 6% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 12% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 24% | 23.72% |
13 first-time / part-time students or 76% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
3 transferred to another institution.
Montana Western lost contact with the remaining 9 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 7.69% |
| Transferred | 3 | 23.08% |
| Dropped Out | 9 | 69.23% |
159 Montana Western students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 30.99% 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 57%, 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 57%.
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 | Montana Western | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 57% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 57% | 55.07% |
69 non first-time / part-time students or 43% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
33 transferred to another institution.
Montana Western lost contact with the remaining 34 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 2.90% |
| Transferred | 33 | 47.83% |
| Dropped Out | 34 | 49.28% |
63 Montana Western students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 12.28% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 29%, 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 30%.
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 | Montana Western | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 29% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 30% | 37.80% |
44 non first-time / part-time students or 70% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
20 transferred to another institution.
Montana Western lost contact with the remaining 23 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 2.27% |
| Transferred | 20 | 45.45% |
| Dropped Out | 23 | 52.27% |
