by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many Virginia Tech first-year students return for their second year, and how many go on to graduate? Retention and graduation rates help you understand how students progress at Virginia Tech. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes and how long it takes.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 93% students making it past their freshmen year, Virginia Tech 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 Virginia, the average is 69.66%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Virginia Tech | 93% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Virginia | 69.66% |
There were approximately 6005 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 71% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 86% of the students had graduated and after eight years 87% 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 Virginia Tech graduation rate 86%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 4959 | 71% |
| Six Years | 6005 | 86% |
| Eight Years | 67 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 919 | 13% |
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 919 students or 13% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 919 students who did not complete their degree?
11 are still enrolled.
620 transferred to another institution.
Virginia Tech lost contact with the remaining 285 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 11 | 1.2% |
| Transferred | 620 | 67.5% |
| Dropped Out | 285 | 31.0% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Asian | 89% |
| Black / African-American | 80% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 85% |
| International | 75% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 87% |
| Unknown | 84% |
| White | 88% |
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.
The majority of students at Virginia Tech 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 Polytechnic Institute and State University represent 85.13% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Virginia Tech graduation rate was 86%, and by the eight year mark, 87% 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 | Virginia Tech | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 69% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 86% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 87% | 47.82% |
762 first-time / full-time students or 13% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
12 are still enrolled.
533 transferred to another institution.
Virginia Tech lost contact with the remaining 217 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 12 | 1.57% |
| Transferred | 533 | 69.95% |
| Dropped Out | 217 | 28.48% |
First-time / part-time students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University represent 0.17% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Virginia Tech graduation rate was 83%, and by the eight year mark, 83% 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 | Virginia Tech | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 42% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 83% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 83% | 23.72% |
2 first-time / part-time students or 17% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
2 transferred to another institution.
Virginia Tech lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 2 | 100.00% |
| Dropped Out | 0 | 0.00% |
Returning / full-time students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University represent 14.47% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Virginia Tech graduation rate was 84%, and by the eight year mark, 85% 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 | Virginia Tech | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 84% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 85% | 55.07% |
149 non first-time / part-time students or 15% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
80 transferred to another institution.
Virginia Tech lost contact with the remaining 67 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 1.34% |
| Transferred | 80 | 53.69% |
| Dropped Out | 67 | 44.97% |
Returning / part-time students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University represent 0.23% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Virginia Tech graduation rate was 56%, and by the eight year mark, 63% 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 | Virginia Tech | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 50% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 56% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 63% | 37.80% |
6 non first-time / part-time students or 37% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
5 transferred to another institution.
Virginia Tech lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 5 | 83.33% |
| Dropped Out | 1 | 16.67% |
