Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Alma'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 Alma . 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 Alma
- Graduation Rates at Alma College
Alma Has a Better Than Average Freshman Retention Rate
With 79.0% of students making it past their freshman year, Alma College 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 Michigan , the average is 71.0% .
Alma 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, 65.4% of Alma Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Alma , there were 410 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2015 . By 2017 , six years after beginning their degree, 65.4% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 66.1% 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 33.9% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 140 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 90 had transferred to a different institution, and Alma lost contact with the remaining 49 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 Alma Represent 88.3% of the Class of 2015 and 90.4% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 56.0% , first-time students in the Alma class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time. After six years, the graduation rate was 66.8% and by 2019 ,67.7% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 34.1% after four years, 45.8% after six years, and 47.4% after eight years.
Alma 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 Alma , we expected that after six years about 59.6% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Alma
32.3% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 117 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 83 had transferred to a different institution, and Alma lost contact with the remaining 34 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Alma Represent 0.0% of the Class of 2015 and 0.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
None of the students in Alma's class of 2015 were classified as as a "first-time" student attending classes "part-time".
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 21.3% after six years and 23.4% after eight years.
Returning / Full-time Students at Alma Represent 11.7% of the Class of 2015 and 9.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 54.2% , returning students in the Alma class of 2015 who attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 54.2% .
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 Alma
45.8% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 22 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 7 had transferred to a different institution, and Alma lost contact with the remaining 15 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Alma Represent 0.0% of the Class of 2015 and 0.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
None of the students in Alma's class of 2015 were classified as as a "returning" student attending classes "part-time".
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.0% after six years and 37.9% after eight years.
