by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding UGA 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 94% students making it past their freshmen year, UGA 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%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| UGA | 94% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Georgia | 65.40% |
There were approximately 6,524 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 62% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 84% of the students had graduated and after eight years 85% 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 UGA graduation rate 84%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at UGA? The standard length of time for most students is 4.27 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 5,148 | 67% |
| Six Years | 6,524 | 84% |
| Eight Years | 82 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,131 | 15% |
Approximately 1131 students or 15% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1131 students who did not complete their degree?
13 are still enrolled.
734 transferred to another institution.
UGA lost contact with the remaining 380 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 13 | 1.1% |
| Transferred | 734 | 64.9% |
| Dropped Out | 380 | 33.6% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 67% |
| Asian | 85% |
| Black / African-American | 83% |
| Hawaiian | 86% |
| Hispanic | 85% |
| International | 80% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 85% |
| Unknown | 88% |
| White | 88% |
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 UGA 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 University of Georgia represent 72% of the students in the class of 2015, and 72.56% of UGA bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 62%, first-time students in the UGA class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the UGA graduation rate was 85%, and by the eight year mark, 86% 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 | UGA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 62% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 85% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 86% | 47.82% |
779 first-time / full-time students or 14% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
13 are still enrolled.
561 transferred to another institution.
UGA lost contact with the remaining 206 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 13 | 1.67% |
| Transferred | 561 | 72.02% |
| Dropped Out | 206 | 26.44% |
First-time / part-time students at University of Georgia represent 0.18% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 57%, first-time, part-time students in the UGA class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 64%.
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 | UGA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 36% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 57% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 64% | 23.72% |
5 first-time / part-time students or 36% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
4 transferred to another institution.
UGA lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 4 | 80.00% |
| Dropped Out | 1 | 20.00% |
1982 UGA students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 25.62% 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 84%, 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 85%.
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 | UGA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 84% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 85% | 55.07% |
302 non first-time / part-time students or 15% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
147 transferred to another institution.
UGA lost contact with the remaining 150 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 1.66% |
| Transferred | 147 | 48.68% |
| Dropped Out | 150 | 49.67% |
156 UGA students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 2.02% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 71%, 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 71%.
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 | UGA | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 71% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 71% | 37.80% |
45 non first-time / part-time students or 29% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
22 transferred to another institution.
UGA lost contact with the remaining 23 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 22 | 48.89% |
| Dropped Out | 23 | 51.11% |
