by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding University of Virginia 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 97% students making it past their freshmen year, University of Virginia 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 Virginia, the average is 69.66%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| University of Virginia | 97% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Virginia | 69.66% |
There were approximately 3,856 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 88% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 94% of the students had graduated and after eight years 94% of this class completed their degree.
The official graduation rate of University of Virginia is 94%. 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 University of Virginia? The standard length of time for most students is 4.06 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 3,607 | 88% |
| Six Years | 3,856 | 94% |
| Eight Years | 17 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 240 | 6% |
Approximately 240 students or 6% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 240 students who did not complete their degree?
5 are still enrolled.
152 transferred to another institution.
University of Virginia lost contact with the remaining 84 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 2.1% |
| Transferred | 152 | 63.3% |
| Dropped Out | 84 | 35.0% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Asian | 96% |
| Black / African-American | 89% |
| Hawaiian | 50% |
| Hispanic | 93% |
| International | 86% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 89% |
| Unknown | 93% |
| White | 95% |
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 University of Virginia 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 Virginia - Main Campus represent 83% of the students in the class of 2015, and 84.21% of University of Virginia bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 88%, first-time students in the University of Virginia class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the University of Virginia graduation rate was 95%, and by the eight year mark, 95% 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 | University of Virginia | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 88% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 95% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 95% | 47.82% |
175 first-time / full-time students or 5% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
116 transferred to another institution.
University of Virginia lost contact with the remaining 56 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 2.86% |
| Transferred | 116 | 66.29% |
| Dropped Out | 56 | 32.00% |
First-time / part-time students at University of Virginia - Main Campus represent 0.02% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 100%, first-time, part-time students in the University of Virginia class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 100%.
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 | University of Virginia | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 100% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 100% | 23.72% |
561 University of Virginia students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 13.63% 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 93%, 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 93%.
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 | University of Virginia | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 93% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 93% | 55.07% |
38 non first-time / part-time students or 7% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
23 transferred to another institution.
University of Virginia lost contact with the remaining 15 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 23 | 60.53% |
| Dropped Out | 15 | 39.47% |
118 University of Virginia students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 2.87% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 73%, 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 77%.
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 | University of Virginia | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 73% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 77% | 37.80% |
27 non first-time / part-time students or 23% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
13 transferred to another institution.
University of Virginia lost contact with the remaining 13 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 3.70% |
| Transferred | 13 | 48.15% |
| Dropped Out | 13 | 48.15% |
