WUSTL Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Washington University in St Louis 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

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

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

WUSTL Retention Rate

The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.

With 94% students making it past their freshmen year, WUSTL 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 Missouri, the average is 69.43%.

WUSTL Graduation Rates

Of the 1,580 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

Four years after beginning their degree, 88% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 93% of the students had graduated and after eight years 94% of this class completed their degree.

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 WUSTL graduation rate 93%.

How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at WUSTL? The standard length of time for most students is 4.07 years.

WUSTL Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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WUSTL Drop Out Rate

Approximately 110 students or 6% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 110 students who did not complete their degree?

• 2 are still enrolled.

• 104 transferred to another institution.

• WUSTL lost contact with the remaining 2 who we assumed dropped out.

WUSTL Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

First-time, full-time students, under the age of 25 are known as traditional students. These students are more likely to graduate in four years than so called 'non-traditional' students that includes part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. Some schools cater to non-traditional students and it may affect their overall graduation rates.

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 WUSTL are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

How does this school do graduating the type of student you are most concerned bout?

First-Time / Full-Time WUSTL Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Washington University in St Louis represent 89% of the students in the class of 2015, and 90.25% of WUSTL bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 88%, first-time students in the WUSTL class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the WUSTL graduation rate was 94%, 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.

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

First-Time / Full-Time WUSTL Drop Out Rates

75 first-time / full-time students or 5% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 2 are still enrolled.

• 74 transferred to another institution.

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

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Washington University in St Louis represent 0.64% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 90%, first-time, part-time students in the WUSTL class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 90%.

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 WUSTL Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time WUSTL Drop Out Rates

1 first-time / part-time students or 10% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

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

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

117 WUSTL students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 6.84% 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 96%, 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 96%.

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.

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

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

5 non first-time / part-time students or 4% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 4 transferred to another institution.

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

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

63 WUSTL students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 3.68% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 54%, 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 54%.

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.

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

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

29 non first-time / part-time students or 46% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 3 are still enrolled.

• 25 transferred to another institution.

• WUSTL lost contact with the remaining 1 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 Bachrach44 under License