by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding CMU CGES 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 53% students making it past their freshmen year, CMU CGES has freshmen retention rates below 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%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| CMU CGES | 53% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Missouri | 69.43% |
How many of the estimated 603 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 61% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 64% of the students had graduated and after eight years 65% 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 CMU CGES graduation rate 64%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 575 | 61% |
| Six Years | 603 | 64% |
| Eight Years | 9 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 332 | 35% |
The non-completers rate is anyone who is not still enrolled at the institution after eight years. Both transfer students and drop-outs could be included in this group.
Approximately 332 students or 35% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 332 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
116 transferred to another institution.
CMU CGES lost contact with the remaining 205 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 116 | 34.9% |
| Dropped Out | 205 | 61.7% |
Traditional first-time, full-time students under 25 tend to graduate in four years far more often than other students. Some schools serve mostly traditional students while others serve more 'non-traditional' students — part-timers or those returning after time away — who commonly take longer to finish.
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.
A meaningful share of students at CMU CGES are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies represent 0.11% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CMU CGES graduation rate was 0%, and by the eight year mark, 0% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| Completions | CMU CGES | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 0% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 0% | 47.82% |
1 first-time / full-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
0 transferred to another institution.
CMU CGES lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dropped Out | 1 | 100.00% |
First-time / part-time students at Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies represent 0.11% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CMU CGES graduation rate was 0%, and by the eight year mark, 0% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, and 23.72% after eight years.
| Completions | CMU CGES | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 0% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 0% | 23.72% |
1 first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
0 transferred to another institution.
CMU CGES lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dropped Out | 1 | 100.00% |
Returning / full-time students at Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies represent 38.45% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CMU CGES graduation rate was 74%, and by the eight year mark, 75% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Completions | CMU CGES | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 74% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 75% | 55.07% |
90 non first-time / part-time students or 25% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
38 transferred to another institution.
CMU CGES lost contact with the remaining 49 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 3.33% |
| Transferred | 38 | 42.22% |
| Dropped Out | 49 | 54.44% |
Returning / part-time students at Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies represent 61.33% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CMU CGES graduation rate was 58%, and by the eight year mark, 59% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 30.46% after four years, 36.03% after six years, and 37.80% after eight years.
| Completions | CMU CGES | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 54% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 58% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 59% | 37.80% |
240 non first-time / part-time students or 41% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
78 transferred to another institution.
CMU CGES lost contact with the remaining 154 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 3.33% |
| Transferred | 78 | 32.50% |
| Dropped Out | 154 | 64.17% |
