by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding SUNY Poly 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 82% students making it past their freshmen year, SUNY Poly 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 New York, the average is 73.51%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| SUNY Poly | 82% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| New York | 73.51% |
How many of the estimated 352 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
35% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 57% in six years, and 58% 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 SUNY Poly graduation rate 57%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at SUNY Poly? The standard length of time for most students is 4.25 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 306 | 50% |
| Six Years | 352 | 57% |
| Eight Years | 3 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 260 | 42% |
Approximately 260 students or 42% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 260 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
151 transferred to another institution.
SUNY Poly lost contact with the remaining 104 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 151 | 58.1% |
| Dropped Out | 104 | 40.0% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 60% |
| Black / African-American | 23% |
| Hispanic | 48% |
| International | 17% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 43% |
| White | 58% |
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 SUNY Poly 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 SUNY Polytechnic Institute represent 33% of the students in the class of 2015, and 28.98% of SUNY Poly bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 35%, first-time students in the SUNY Poly class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the SUNY Poly graduation rate was 50%, and by the eight year mark, 50% 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 | SUNY Poly | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 35% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 50% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 50% | 47.82% |
100 first-time / full-time students or 50% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
71 transferred to another institution.
SUNY Poly lost contact with the remaining 28 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 71 | 71.00% |
| Dropped Out | 28 | 28.00% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on SUNY Poly first-time, part-time students.
325 SUNY Poly students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 52.85% 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 64%, 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 64%.
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 | SUNY Poly | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 64% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 64% | 55.07% |
117 non first-time / part-time students or 36% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
59 transferred to another institution.
SUNY Poly lost contact with the remaining 56 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 1.71% |
| Transferred | 59 | 50.43% |
| Dropped Out | 56 | 47.86% |
88 SUNY Poly students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 14.31% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 48%, 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 51%.
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 | SUNY Poly | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 48% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 51% | 37.80% |
43 non first-time / part-time students or 49% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
21 transferred to another institution.
SUNY Poly lost contact with the remaining 20 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 4.65% |
| Transferred | 21 | 48.84% |
| Dropped Out | 20 | 46.51% |
