UIUC Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Make an informed decision about your education by understanding UIUC 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.

• UIUC Retention Rate
• UIUC Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• UIUC Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

UIUC Retention Rate

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, UIUC 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 Illinois, the average is 72.64%.

UIUC Graduation Rates

There were approximately 7,655 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?

Four years after beginning their degree, 70% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 85% of the students had graduated and after eight years 86% of this class completed their degree.

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 UIUC graduation rate 85%.

The typical UIUC student takes 4.21 years to complete their bachelor's degree.

UIUC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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UIUC Drop Out Rate

Approximately 1231 students or 14% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 1231 students who did not complete their degree?

• 18 are still enrolled.

• 867 transferred to another institution.

• UIUC lost contact with the remaining 344 who we assumed dropped out.

UIUC Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

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 UIUC 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 UIUC Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign represent 81% of the students in the class of 2015, and 80.54% of UIUC bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 70%, first-time students in the UIUC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the UIUC 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.

UIUC First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time UIUC Drop Out Rates

990 first-time / full-time students or 14% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 18 are still enrolled.

• 709 transferred to another institution.

• UIUC lost contact with the remaining 263 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign represent 0.03% of the students in the class of 2015.

First-Time / Part-Time UIUC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time UIUC Drop Out Rates

2 first-time / part-time students or 67% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• UIUC lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

1722 UIUC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 19.13% 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 86%, 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 87%.

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.

UIUC Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time UIUC Drop Out Rates

230 non first-time / part-time students or 13% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 2 are still enrolled.

• 151 transferred to another institution.

• UIUC lost contact with the remaining 77 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

15 UIUC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.17% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 40%, 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 40%.

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.

UIUC Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time UIUC Drop Out Rates

9 non first-time / part-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 6 transferred to another institution.

• UIUC lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• Image Credit: By Beyond My ken under License