by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at The American University? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 85% students making it past their freshmen year, The American University has freshmen retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in District of Columbia, the average is 78.47%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| The American University | 85% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| District of Columbia | 78.47% |
Of the 1,543 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
After four years 75% of the cohort graduated. After six years 78% had completed their degree, and 79% after eight years.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official The American University graduation rate 78%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at The American University? The standard length of time for most students is 4.05 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1,460 | 74% |
| Six Years | 1,543 | 78% |
| Eight Years | 16 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 424 | 21% |
Approximately 424 students or 21% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 424 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
297 transferred to another institution.
The American University lost contact with the remaining 126 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 297 | 70.0% |
| Dropped Out | 126 | 29.7% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Asian | 81% |
| Black / African-American | 74% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 75% |
| International | 81% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 74% |
| Unknown | 70% |
| White | 81% |
Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.
Traditional Students:
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.
Non-Traditional Students:
Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.
The majority of students at The American University are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
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 American University represent 79% of the students in the class of 2015, and 80.04% of The American University bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 75%, first-time students in the The American University class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the The American University graduation rate was 79%, and by the eight year mark, 80% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | The American University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 75% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 79% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 80% | 47.82% |
314 first-time / full-time students or 20% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
232 transferred to another institution.
The American University lost contact with the remaining 81 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 232 | 73.89% |
| Dropped Out | 81 | 25.80% |
First-time / part-time students at American University represent 0.55% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 64%, first-time, part-time students in the The American University class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 64%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.
| First-Time / Part-Time Completions | The American University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 64% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 64% | 23.72% |
4 first-time / part-time students or 36% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
1 transferred to another institution.
The American University lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 1 | 25.00% |
| Dropped Out | 3 | 75.00% |
374 The American University students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 18.86% of the students in the class of 2015.
Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.
With a six year graduation rate of 75%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 76%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Returning / Full-Time Completions | The American University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 75% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 76% | 55.07% |
91 non first-time / part-time students or 24% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
56 transferred to another institution.
The American University lost contact with the remaining 35 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 56 | 61.54% |
| Dropped Out | 35 | 38.46% |
35 The American University students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 1.77% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 57%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 57%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | The American University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 57% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 57% | 37.80% |
15 non first-time / part-time students or 43% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
8 transferred to another institution.
The American University lost contact with the remaining 7 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 8 | 53.33% |
| Dropped Out | 7 | 46.67% |
