University of Southern Maine Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

University of Southern Maine 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Are students coming back to University of Southern Maine after their first year? Are University of Southern Maine students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.

• University of Southern Maine Retention Rate
• University of Southern Maine 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
• University of Southern Maine Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

University of Southern Maine Retention Rate

Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.

With 70% students making it past their freshmen year, University of Southern Maine has freshmen retention rates similar to 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%.

University of Southern Maine Graduation Rates

There were approximately 819 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?

Four years after beginning their degree, 14% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 43% of the students had graduated and after eight years 46% 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 University of Southern Maine graduation rate 43%.

The average length of time it takes an University of Southern Maine undergraduate student to complete their bachelor's degree is 4.61 years.

University of Southern Maine Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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University of Southern Maine Drop Out Rate

Approximately 1029 students or 54% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 1029 students who did not complete their degree?

• 11 are still enrolled.

• 543 transferred to another institution.

• University of Southern Maine lost contact with the remaining 458 who we assumed dropped out.

University of Southern Maine Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.

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 University of Southern Maine are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.

First-Time / Full-Time University of Southern Maine Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at University of Southern Maine represent 36% of the students in the class of 2015, and 28.08% of University of Southern Maine bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 14%, first-time students in the University of Southern Maine class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the University of Southern Maine graduation rate was 33%, and by the eight year mark, 38% 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.

University of Southern Maine First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time University of Southern Maine Drop Out Rates

430 first-time / full-time students or 62% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 11 are still enrolled.

• 238 transferred to another institution.

• University of Southern Maine lost contact with the remaining 182 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at University of Southern Maine represent 3.07% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 7%, first-time, part-time students in the University of Southern Maine class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 15%.

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 University of Southern Maine Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time University of Southern Maine Drop Out Rates

50 first-time / part-time students or 85% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 2 are still enrolled.

• 17 transferred to another institution.

• University of Southern Maine lost contact with the remaining 31 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

782 University of Southern Maine students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 40.75% 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 57%, 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 59%.

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.

University of Southern Maine Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time University of Southern Maine Drop Out Rates

320 non first-time / part-time students or 41% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 9 are still enrolled.

• 165 transferred to another institution.

• University of Southern Maine lost contact with the remaining 146 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

385 University of Southern Maine students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 20.06% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 36%, 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 41%.

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.

University of Southern Maine Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time University of Southern Maine Drop Out Rates

229 non first-time / part-time students or 59% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 7 are still enrolled.

• 123 transferred to another institution.

• University of Southern Maine lost contact with the remaining 99 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 John Phelan under License