by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at U of I? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.
The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 77% students making it past their freshmen year, U of I 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 Idaho, the average is 77.33%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| U of I | 77% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Idaho | 77.33% |
Of the 1,507 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
After four years 37% of the cohort graduated. After six years 56% had completed their degree, and 58% after eight years.
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 U of I graduation rate 56%.
The average length of time it takes an U of I undergraduate student to complete their bachelor's degree is 4.44 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1,168 | 43% |
| Six Years | 1,507 | 56% |
| Eight Years | 54 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,153 | 42% |
Approximately 1153 students or 42% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1153 students who did not complete their degree?
10 are still enrolled.
723 transferred to another institution.
U of I lost contact with the remaining 408 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 10 | 0.9% |
| Transferred | 723 | 62.7% |
| Dropped Out | 408 | 35.4% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 20% |
| Asian | 72% |
| Black / African-American | 25% |
| Hawaiian | 20% |
| Hispanic | 53% |
| International | 61% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 61% |
| Unknown | 43% |
| White | 61% |
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 U of I 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 students at University of Idaho represent 61% of the students in the class of 2015, and 59.52% of U of I bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 37%, first-time students in the U of I class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the U of I graduation rate was 55%, and by the eight year mark, 57% 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 | U of I | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 37% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 55% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 57% | 47.82% |
707 first-time / full-time students or 43% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
10 are still enrolled.
431 transferred to another institution.
U of I lost contact with the remaining 263 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 10 | 1.41% |
| Transferred | 431 | 60.96% |
| Dropped Out | 263 | 37.20% |
First-time / part-time students at University of Idaho represent 2.02% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 22%, first-time, part-time students in the U of I class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more 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 | U of I | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 15% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 22% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 24% | 23.72% |
42 first-time / part-time students or 76% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
31 transferred to another institution.
U of I lost contact with the remaining 11 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 31 | 73.81% |
| Dropped Out | 11 | 26.19% |
845 U of I students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 31.04% 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 62%, 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 63%.
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 | U of I | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 62% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 63% | 55.07% |
310 non first-time / part-time students or 37% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
199 transferred to another institution.
U of I lost contact with the remaining 104 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 2.26% |
| Transferred | 199 | 64.19% |
| Dropped Out | 104 | 33.55% |
171 U of I students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 6.28% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 43%, 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 45%.
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 | U of I | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 43% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 45% | 37.80% |
94 non first-time / part-time students or 55% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
62 transferred to another institution.
U of I lost contact with the remaining 30 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 2.13% |
| Transferred | 62 | 65.96% |
| Dropped Out | 30 | 31.91% |
