Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how 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 86.0% 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 71.0%. When looking at just colleges and universities in North Carolina, the average is 68.0%.
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, 70.4% of Appalachian State Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Appalachian State, there were 3,802 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2012. By 2014, six years after beginning their degree, 70.4% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 71.9% 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 28.1% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 1,069 students, 25 were still working towards their degree, 807 had transferred to a different institution, and Appalachian State lost contact with the remaining 236 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 72.8% of the Class of 2012 and 72.4% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 42.0%, first-time students in the Appalachian State class of 2012 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time. After six years, the graduation rate was 69.7% and by 2016, 71.5% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 32.8% after four years, 47.6% after six years, and 49.2% after eight years.
The Graduation Rate at Appalachian 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 Appalachian State, we expected that after six years about 67.1% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Appalachian State
28.5% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 789 students, 21 were still working towards their degree, 600 had transferred to a different institution, and Appalachian State lost contact with the remaining 168 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Appalachian State Represent 0.2% of the Class of 2012 and 0.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 25.0%, first-time students in the Appalachian State class of 2012 who attended classes part-time were more likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 25.0%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 22.2% after six years and 24.5% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at Appalachian State
75.0% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 6 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 2 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 23.5% of the Class of 2012 and 24.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 74.8%, returning students in the Appalachian State class of 2012 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 75.2%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 55.0% after six years and 56.2% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Full-time Graduation Rates at Appalachian State
24.8% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 222 students, 1 were still working towards their degree, 168 had transferred to a different institution, and Appalachian State lost contact with the remaining 53 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Appalachian State Represent 3.5% of the Class of 2012 and 3.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 56.8%, returning students in the Appalachian State class of 2012 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 61.4%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.8% after six years and 38.6% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at Appalachian State
38.6% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 51 students, 3 were still working towards their degree, 37 had transferred to a different institution, and Appalachian State lost contact with the remaining 11 whom we assume dropped out.
