by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding ECPI University 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 56% students making it past their freshmen year, ECPI University 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 Virginia, the average is 69.66%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| ECPI University | 56% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Virginia | 69.66% |
How many of the estimated 4704 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 50% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 52% of the students had graduated and after eight years 54% 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 ECPI University graduation rate 52%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 4522 | 50% |
| Six Years | 4704 | 52% |
| Eight Years | 121 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 4148 | 46% |
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 4148 students or 46% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 4148 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
1720 transferred to another institution.
ECPI University lost contact with the remaining 2392 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 1720 | 41.5% |
| Dropped Out | 2392 | 57.7% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 20% |
| Asian | 61% |
| Black / African-American | 40% |
| Hawaiian | 57% |
| Hispanic | 50% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 34% |
| Unknown | 50% |
| White | 48% |
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 ECPI University are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
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 ECPI University represent 25.40% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the ECPI University graduation rate was 50%, and by the eight year mark, 51% 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 | ECPI University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 48% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 50% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 51% | 47.82% |
1125 first-time / full-time students or 49% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
10 are still enrolled.
387 transferred to another institution.
ECPI University lost contact with the remaining 728 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 10 | 0.89% |
| Transferred | 387 | 34.40% |
| Dropped Out | 728 | 64.71% |
At this time we lack data for this cohort at ECPI University.
Returning / full-time students at ECPI University represent 74.60% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the ECPI University graduation rate was 53%, and by the eight year mark, 55% 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 | ECPI University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 53% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 55% | 55.07% |
3023 non first-time / part-time students or 45% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
26 are still enrolled.
1333 transferred to another institution.
ECPI University lost contact with the remaining 1664 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 26 | 0.86% |
| Transferred | 1333 | 44.10% |
| Dropped Out | 1664 | 55.04% |
We don’t have data for this cohort at ECPI University.
