Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Albany State'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 Albany State . 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 Albany State
- Graduation Rates at Albany State University
Albany State Has a Lower Than Average Freshman Retention Rate
In order to graduate you have to make it past freshman year. With only 62.0% of students staying on to become sophomores, Albany State University has freshman retention rates below the national average.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 69.0% . When looking at just colleges and universities in Georgia , the average is 63.0% .
Albany State 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, 27.3% of Albany State Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Albany State , there were 4,508 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2015 . By 2017 , six years after beginning their degree, 27.3% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 28.7% 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 71.3% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 3,216 students, 39 were still working towards their degree, 2,134 had transferred to a different institution, and Albany State lost contact with the remaining 1,042 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 Albany State Represent 53.6% of the Class of 2015 and 50.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 8.0% , first-time students in the Albany State 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 25.1% and by 2019 ,26.8% 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.
The Graduation Rate at Albany State is About What we had Anticipated
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 Albany State , we expected that after six years about 24.8% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Albany State
73.2% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 1,769 students, 19 were still working towards their degree, 1,243 had transferred to a different institution, and Albany State lost contact with the remaining 507 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Albany State Represent 10.1% of the Class of 2015 and 4.3% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 10.8% , first-time students in the Albany State 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 12.3% .
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 Albany State
87.7% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 398 students, 3 were still working towards their degree, 191 had transferred to a different institution, and Albany State lost contact with the remaining 204 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Albany State Represent 17.4% of the Class of 2015 and 20.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 33.1% , returning students in the Albany State class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were among the least likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 33.8% .
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 Albany State
66.2% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 520 students, 7 were still working towards their degree, 351 had transferred to a different institution, and Albany State lost contact with the remaining 162 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Albany State Represent 18.9% of the Class of 2015 and 25.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 36.9% , returning students in the Albany State class of 2015 who attended classes part-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 38.0% .
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 Albany State
62.0% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 528 students, 10 were still working towards their degree, 349 had transferred to a different institution, and Albany State lost contact with the remaining 169 whom we assume dropped out.