Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Appalachian 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 Appalachian 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 Appalachian State
- Graduation Rates at Appalachian State University
Appalachian State Has One of the Best Freshman Retention Rates in the Country
With 87.0% of students staying on for a second year, Appalachian State University is one of the best in the country when it comes to freshman retention.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 69.0% . When looking at just colleges and universities in North Carolina , the average is 66.0% .
Appalachian 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.
Overall, 70.7% of Appalachian State Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Appalachian State , there were 4,450 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2015 . By 2017 , six years after beginning their degree, 70.7% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 72.3% 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 27.7% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 1,233 students, 30 were still working towards their degree, 835 had transferred to a different institution, and Appalachian State lost contact with the remaining 367 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 Appalachian State Represent 69.6% of the Class of 2015 and 69.4% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 49.0% , first-time students in the Appalachian State class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time. After six years, the graduation rate was 70.4% and by 2019 ,72.1% 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.
Appalachian State 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 Appalachian State , we expected that after six years about 65.5% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Appalachian State
27.9% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 864 students, 19 were still working towards their degree, 631 had transferred to a different institution, and Appalachian State lost contact with the remaining 214 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Appalachian State Represent 0.2% of the Class of 2015 and 0.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 9.1% , first-time students in the Appalachian 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 9.1% .
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.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at Appalachian State
90.9% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 10 students, 1 were still working towards their degree, 5 had transferred to a different institution, and Appalachian State lost contact with the remaining 4 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Appalachian State Represent 26.7% of the Class of 2015 and 28.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 74.3% , returning students in the Appalachian State class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 75.8% .
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 Appalachian State
24.2% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 288 students, 9 were still working towards their degree, 167 had transferred to a different institution, and Appalachian State lost contact with the remaining 112 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Appalachian State Represent 3.4% of the Class of 2015 and 2.5% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 53.3% , returning students in the Appalachian State class of 2015 who attended classes part-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 53.9% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.0% after six years and 37.9% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at Appalachian State
46.1% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 70 students, 1 were still working towards their degree, 32 had transferred to a different institution, and Appalachian State lost contact with the remaining 37 whom we assume dropped out.
