by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Iowa 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 88% students making it past their freshmen year, Iowa 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 Iowa, the average is 68.94%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Iowa | 88% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Iowa | 68.94% |
Of the 4,577 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
54% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 71% in six years, and 73% in eight years.
The official graduation rate of Iowa is 71%. This is the percentage of students who completed their degree within 150% of the published time. That means six years for a standard bachelor's degree program.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Iowa? The standard length of time for most students is 4.28 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 3,511 | 55% |
| Six Years | 4,577 | 71% |
| Eight Years | 88 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,763 | 27% |
Approximately 1763 students or 27% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1763 students who did not complete their degree?
16 are still enrolled.
1166 transferred to another institution.
Iowa lost contact with the remaining 564 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 16 | 0.9% |
| Transferred | 1166 | 66.1% |
| Dropped Out | 564 | 32.0% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 50% |
| Asian | 80% |
| Black / African-American | 56% |
| Hawaiian | 83% |
| Hispanic | 68% |
| International | 73% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 66% |
| Unknown | 69% |
| White | 73% |
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 Iowa 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 Iowa represent 71% of the students in the class of 2015, and 72.82% of Iowa bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 54%, first-time students in the Iowa class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Iowa graduation rate was 73%, and by the eight year mark, 75% 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 | Iowa | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 54% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 73% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 75% | 47.82% |
1128 first-time / full-time students or 25% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
16 are still enrolled.
832 transferred to another institution.
Iowa lost contact with the remaining 278 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 16 | 1.42% |
| Transferred | 832 | 73.76% |
| Dropped Out | 278 | 24.65% |
First-time / part-time students at University of Iowa represent 2.36% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 59%, first-time, part-time students in the Iowa class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 62%.
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 | Iowa | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 17% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 59% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 62% | 23.72% |
58 first-time / part-time students or 38% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
28 transferred to another institution.
Iowa lost contact with the remaining 30 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 28 | 48.28% |
| Dropped Out | 30 | 51.72% |
1435 Iowa students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 22.32% 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 69%, 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 70%.
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 | Iowa | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 69% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 70% | 55.07% |
433 non first-time / part-time students or 30% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
241 transferred to another institution.
Iowa lost contact with the remaining 183 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 2.08% |
| Transferred | 241 | 55.66% |
| Dropped Out | 183 | 42.26% |
306 Iowa students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 4.76% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 53%, 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 53%.
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 | Iowa | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 53% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 53% | 37.80% |
144 non first-time / part-time students or 47% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
6 are still enrolled.
65 transferred to another institution.
Iowa lost contact with the remaining 73 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 6 | 4.17% |
| Transferred | 65 | 45.14% |
| Dropped Out | 73 | 50.69% |
