UNE Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

University of New England 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How long does it take to earn a degree at UNE? 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.

• UNE Retention Rate
• UNE 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
• UNE Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

UNE Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.

With 75% students making it past their freshmen year, UNE 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 Maine, the average is 71.23%.

UNE Graduation Rates

How many of the estimated 483 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?

55% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 63% in six years, and 63% in eight years.

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 UNE graduation rate 63%.

The typical UNE student takes 4.09 years to complete their bachelor's degree.

UNE Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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UNE Drop Out Rate

Approximately 283 students or 37% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 283 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 256 transferred to another institution.

• UNE lost contact with the remaining 27 who we assumed dropped out.

UNE 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 UNE 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 UNE Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at University of New England represent 84% of the students in the class of 2015, and 81.37% of UNE bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 55%, first-time students in the UNE class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the UNE graduation rate was 61%, and by the eight year mark, 62% 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.

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

First-Time / Full-Time UNE Drop Out Rates

246 first-time / full-time students or 38% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 220 transferred to another institution.

• UNE lost contact with the remaining 26 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at University of New England represent 0.13% of the students in the class of 2015.

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

First-Time / Part-Time UNE Drop Out Rates

1 first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• UNE lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

125 UNE students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 16.23% 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 72%, 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 72%.

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.

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

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

35 non first-time / part-time students or 28% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 34 transferred to another institution.

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

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

1 UNE students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.13% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 0%, 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 0%.

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.

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

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

1 non first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• UNE lost contact with the remaining 0 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 Dcrjsr under License