by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at VWU? 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.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 64% students making it past their freshmen year, VWU 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 Virginia, the average is 69.66%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| VWU | 64% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Virginia | 69.66% |
How many of the estimated 314 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
46% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 55% in six years, and 55% 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 VWU graduation rate 55%.
The average length of time it takes an VWU undergraduate student to complete their bachelor's degree is 4.10 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 284 | 50% |
| Six Years | 314 | 55% |
| Eight Years | 1 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 257 | 45% |
Approximately 257 students or 45% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 257 students who did not complete their degree?
1 are still enrolled.
203 transferred to another institution.
VWU lost contact with the remaining 53 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.4% |
| Transferred | 203 | 79.0% |
| Dropped Out | 53 | 20.6% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Asian | 14% |
| Black / African-American | 41% |
| Hispanic | 60% |
| International | 25% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 62% |
| Unknown | 46% |
| White | 54% |
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 VWU 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 Wesleyan University represent 77% of the students in the class of 2015, and 72.93% of VWU bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 46%, first-time students in the VWU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the VWU graduation rate was 52%, and by the eight year mark, 52% 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 | VWU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 46% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 52% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 52% | 47.82% |
209 first-time / full-time students or 48% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
172 transferred to another institution.
VWU lost contact with the remaining 36 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.48% |
| Transferred | 172 | 82.30% |
| Dropped Out | 36 | 17.22% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on VWU first-time, part-time students.
114 VWU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 19.90% 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 69%.
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 | VWU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 69% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 69% | 55.07% |
35 non first-time / part-time students or 31% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
24 transferred to another institution.
VWU lost contact with the remaining 11 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 24 | 68.57% |
| Dropped Out | 11 | 31.43% |
19 VWU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 3.32% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 32%, 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 32%.
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 | VWU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 32% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 32% | 37.80% |
13 non first-time / part-time students or 68% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
7 transferred to another institution.
VWU lost contact with the remaining 6 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 7 | 53.85% |
| Dropped Out | 6 | 46.15% |
