by our College Data Analytics TeamAre students coming back to VMI after their first year? Are VMI students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 80% students making it past their freshmen year, VMI 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 | |
|---|---|
| VMI | 80% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Virginia | 69.66% |
How many of the estimated 366 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
63% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 77% in six years, and 77% in eight years.
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 VMI graduation rate 77%.
The average length of time it takes an VMI undergraduate student to complete their bachelor's degree is 4.18 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 305 | 64% |
| Six Years | 366 | 77% |
| Eight Years | 1 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 109 | 23% |
Approximately 109 students or 23% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 109 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
94 transferred to another institution.
VMI lost contact with the remaining 15 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 94 | 86.2% |
| Dropped Out | 15 | 13.8% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Asian | 85% |
| Black / African-American | 69% |
| Hawaiian | 67% |
| Hispanic | 90% |
| International | 100% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 86% |
| White | 86% |
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 VMI 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 Virginia Military Institute represent 94% of the students in the class of 2015, and 93.99% of VMI bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 63%, first-time students in the VMI class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the VMI graduation rate was 77%, and by the eight year mark, 77% 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 | VMI | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 63% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 77% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 77% | 47.82% |
104 first-time / full-time students or 23% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
90 transferred to another institution.
VMI lost contact with the remaining 14 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 90 | 86.54% |
| Dropped Out | 14 | 13.46% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on VMI first-time, part-time students.
27 VMI students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 5.67% 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 81%, 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 81%.
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 | VMI | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 81% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 81% | 55.07% |
5 non first-time / part-time students or 19% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
4 transferred to another institution.
VMI lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 4 | 80.00% |
| Dropped Out | 1 | 20.00% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on VMI returning, part-time students.
