Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Amarillo College'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 Amarillo College . 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 Amarillo College
- Graduation Rates at Amarillo College
Amarillo College's Freshman Retention Rate is About Average
With 72.0% of students making it past their freshman year, Amarillo College has freshman retention rates similar to the national average.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 69.0% . When looking at just colleges and universities in Texas , the average is 65.0% .
Amarillo College 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, 23.6% of Amarillo College Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Amarillo College , there were 3,348 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2015 . By 2017 , six years after beginning their degree, 23.6% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 26.4% 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 73.6% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 2,464 students, 109 were still working towards their degree, 814 had transferred to a different institution, and Amarillo College lost contact with the remaining 1,540 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 Amarillo College Represent 37.6% of the Class of 2015 and 45.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of N/A , first-time students in the Amarillo College class of 2015 who attended classes full-time After six years, the graduation rate was 27.7% and by 2019 ,31.7% 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.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Amarillo College
68.3% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 859 students, 55 were still working towards their degree, 232 had transferred to a different institution, and Amarillo College lost contact with the remaining 572 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Amarillo College Represent 37.9% of the Class of 2015 and 26.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 15.8% , first-time students in the Amarillo College class of 2015 who attended classes part-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 18.5% .
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 Amarillo College
81.5% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 1,034 students, 46 were still working towards their degree, 190 had transferred to a different institution, and Amarillo College lost contact with the remaining 798 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Amarillo College Represent 8.7% of the Class of 2015 and 12.5% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 36.0% , returning students in the Amarillo College class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 38.0% .
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 Amarillo College
62.0% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 181 students, 4 were still working towards their degree, 135 had transferred to a different institution, and Amarillo College lost contact with the remaining 42 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Amarillo College Represent 15.8% of the Class of 2015 and 15.8% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 25.5% , returning students in the Amarillo College 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 26.5% .
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 Amarillo College
73.5% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 389 students, 4 were still working towards their degree, 257 had transferred to a different institution, and Amarillo College lost contact with the remaining 128 whom we assume dropped out.