Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Academy of Art University's retention and graduation rates impact you. First year retention rates let you know how many students come back for their sophomore year. Graduation rates tell you how long it takes to complete a degree at Academy of Art University . Remember, every extra semester it takes to graduate will increase the cost of your degree.

On This Page You'll Find:
- What These Rates Have To Do With You
- First to Second Year Retention Rate at Academy of Art University
- Graduation Rates at Academy of Art University
Academy of Art University Has a Better Than Average Freshman Retention Rate
With 78.0% of students making it past their freshman year, Academy of Art University has freshman retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 69.0% . When looking at just colleges and universities in California , the average is 74.0% .
Academy of Art University Freshmen Retention Rate Rankings
Any Questions?
- When you attend a school that is high quality and a good fit for you, it is more likely you'll return for another year. Read more about why retention is so important.
- How many students make it past freshman year? You might be surprised at the answer.
Overall, 26.5% of Academy of Art University Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Academy of Art University , there were 4,170 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2015 . By 2017 , six years after beginning their degree, 26.5% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 29.3% of this class eventually completed their degree.
We consider the "on-time" graduation rate for a bachelor's degree to be four years, but colleges typically report their graduation rates after six or even eight years.
This implies that 70.7% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 2,951 students, 47 were still working towards their degree, 1,292 had transferred to a different institution, and Academy of Art University lost contact with the remaining 1,611 whom we assume dropped out.
Some Students Take More Time to Graduate
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years (on-time). Some schools cater mostly to traditional students while others cater to “non-traditional” students who may be attending part time and thus are likely to take longer to graduate.
Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.
First-Time / Full-time Students at Academy of Art University Represent 26.5% of the Class of 2015 and 38.9% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 6.0% , first-time students in the Academy of Art University class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were among the least likely in the nation to graduate on time. After six years, the graduation rate was 38.4% and by 2019 ,43.0% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 35.8% after four years, 46.4% after six years, and 47.8% after eight years.
Academy of Art University is Graduating Students Slower Than we Expected
Studies have shown that high-achieving students are more likely to complete their degree on time. Given the academic preparedness of the first-time / full-time students accepted to Academy of Art University , we expected that after six years about 51.4% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Academy of Art University
57.0% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 629 students, 17 were still working towards their degree, 302 had transferred to a different institution, and Academy of Art University lost contact with the remaining 310 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Academy of Art University Represent 25.7% of the Class of 2015 and 7.2% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 6.4% , first-time students in the Academy of Art University class of 2015 who attended classes part-time were less likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 8.2% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 21.6% after six years and 23.7% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at Academy of Art University
91.8% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 983 students, 13 were still working towards their degree, 420 had transferred to a different institution, and Academy of Art University lost contact with the remaining 550 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Academy of Art University Represent 22.8% of the Class of 2015 and 44.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 54.1% , returning students in the Academy of Art University class of 2015 who attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 56.6% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 53.8% after six years and 55.1% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Full-time Graduation Rates at Academy of Art University
43.4% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 412 students, 3 were still working towards their degree, 169 had transferred to a different institution, and Academy of Art University lost contact with the remaining 240 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Academy of Art University Represent 25.1% of the Class of 2015 and 9.8% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 9.5% , returning students in the Academy of Art University class of 2015 who attended classes part-time were among the least likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 11.5% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.0% after six years and 37.8% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at Academy of Art University
88.5% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 926 students, 14 were still working towards their degree, 401 had transferred to a different institution, and Academy of Art University lost contact with the remaining 511 whom we assume dropped out.