Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how 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 Alaska Pacific. 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 Alaska Pacific
- Graduation Rates at Alaska Pacific University
Alaska Pacific Has One of the Lowest Freshman Retention Rates in the Country
You have to make it past freshman year in order to graduate. With only 56.0% of students staying on to become sophomores, Alaska Pacific University has among the worst freshman retention rates in the country.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 71.0%. When looking at just colleges and universities in Alaska, the average is 67.0%.
Alaska Pacific 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.
- Low retention rates may be a signal that a lot of students plan on transferring after a year or two. Is that the case here?
Overall, 51.4% of Alaska Pacific Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Alaska Pacific, there were 138 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2012. By 2014, six years after beginning their degree, 51.4% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 53.6% 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 46.4% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 65 students, 4 were still working towards their degree, 34 had transferred to a different institution, and Alaska Pacific lost contact with the remaining 26 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 Alaska Pacific Represent 43.5% of the Class of 2012 and 48.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 25.0%, first-time students in the Alaska Pacific class of 2012 who attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After six years, the graduation rate was 60.0% and by 2016, 60.0% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 32.8% after four years, 47.6% after six years, and 49.2% after eight years.
Alaska Pacific is Graduating Students Faster 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 Alaska Pacific, we expected that after six years about 47.6% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Alaska Pacific
40.0% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 24 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 17 had transferred to a different institution, and Alaska Pacific lost contact with the remaining 7 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Alaska Pacific Represent 0.7% of the Class of 2012 and 0.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 0.0%, first-time students in the Alaska Pacific class of 2012 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 0.0%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 22.2% after six years and 24.5% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at Alaska Pacific
100.0% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 1 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 0 had transferred to a different institution, and Alaska Pacific lost contact with the remaining 1 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Alaska Pacific Represent 26.8% of the Class of 2012 and 28.4% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 51.3%, returning students in the Alaska Pacific class of 2012 who attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 56.8%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 55.0% after six years and 56.2% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Full-time Graduation Rates at Alaska Pacific
43.2% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 16 students, 1 were still working towards their degree, 8 had transferred to a different institution, and Alaska Pacific lost contact with the remaining 7 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Alaska Pacific Represent 29.0% of the Class of 2012 and 23.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 40.0%, returning students in the Alaska Pacific class of 2012 who attended classes part-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 42.5%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.8% after six years and 38.6% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at Alaska Pacific
57.5% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 23 students, 3 were still working towards their degree, 9 had transferred to a different institution, and Alaska Pacific lost contact with the remaining 11 whom we assume dropped out.
