by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Tompkins Cortland 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.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 49% students making it past their freshmen year, Tompkins Cortland 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 | |
|---|---|
| Tompkins Cortland | 49% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| New York | 73.51% |
There were approximately 549 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 25% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 29% of the students had graduated and after eight years 30% of this class completed their degree.
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 Tompkins Cortland graduation rate 29%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 493 | 26% |
| Six Years | 549 | 29% |
| Eight Years | 15 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,340 | 70% |
Approximately 1340 students or 70% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1340 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
642 transferred to another institution.
Tompkins Cortland lost contact with the remaining 689 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 642 | 47.9% |
| Dropped Out | 689 | 51.4% |
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 Tompkins Cortland 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 Tompkins Cortland Community College represent 67% of the students in the class of 2015, and 60.84% of Tompkins Cortland bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 25%, first-time students in the Tompkins Cortland class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Tompkins Cortland graduation rate was 26%, and by the eight year mark, 27% 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 | Tompkins Cortland | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 25% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 26% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 27% | 47.82% |
924 first-time / full-time students or 73% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
450 transferred to another institution.
Tompkins Cortland lost contact with the remaining 467 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 450 | 48.70% |
| Dropped Out | 467 | 50.54% |
First-time / part-time students at Tompkins Cortland Community College represent 4.04% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 35%, first-time, part-time students in the Tompkins Cortland class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 38%.
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 | Tompkins Cortland | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 27% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 35% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 38% | 23.72% |
48 first-time / part-time students or 62% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
22 transferred to another institution.
Tompkins Cortland lost contact with the remaining 26 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 22 | 45.83% |
| Dropped Out | 26 | 54.17% |
401 Tompkins Cortland students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 21.05% 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 37%, 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 38%.
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 | Tompkins Cortland | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 37% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 38% | 55.07% |
247 non first-time / part-time students or 62% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
116 transferred to another institution.
Tompkins Cortland lost contact with the remaining 130 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.40% |
| Transferred | 116 | 46.96% |
| Dropped Out | 130 | 52.63% |
160 Tompkins Cortland students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 8.40% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 24%, 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 24%.
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 | Tompkins Cortland | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 24% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 24% | 37.80% |
121 non 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.
54 transferred to another institution.
Tompkins Cortland lost contact with the remaining 66 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.83% |
| Transferred | 54 | 44.63% |
| Dropped Out | 66 | 54.55% |
