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 Ashford University. 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 Ashford University
- Graduation Rates at Ashford University
Ashford University Has One of the Lowest Freshman Retention Rates in the Country
You have to make it past freshman year in order to graduate. With only 34.0% of students staying on to become sophomores, Ashford University has among the worst freshman retention rates in the country.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 71.0%. When looking at just colleges and universities in California, the average is 75.0%.
Ashford University 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.
- Low retention rates may be a signal that a lot of students plan on transferring after a year or two. Is that the case here?
Overall, 43.5% of Ashford University Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Ashford University, there were 27,027 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2012. By 2014, six years after beginning their degree, 43.5% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 45.0% 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 55.0% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 14,874 students, 191 were still working towards their degree, 6,319 had transferred to a different institution, and Ashford University lost contact with the remaining 8,363 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 Ashford University Represent 15.2% of the Class of 2012 and 5.5% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 7.0%, first-time students in the Ashford University class of 2012 who attended classes full-time were among the least likely in the nation to graduate on time. After six years, the graduation rate was 15.5% and by 2016, 16.3% 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.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Ashford University
83.7% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 3,440 students, 19 were still working towards their degree, 1,035 had transferred to a different institution, and Ashford University lost contact with the remaining 2,386 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Ashford University Represent 0.0% of the Class of 2012 and 0.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
None of the students in Ashford University's class of 2012 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: 22.2% after six years and 24.5% after eight years.
Returning / Full-time Students at Ashford University Represent 84.8% of the Class of 2012 and 94.5% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 48.6%, returning students in the Ashford University class of 2012 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 50.1%.
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 Ashford University
49.9% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 11,433 students, 172 were still working towards their degree, 5,284 had transferred to a different institution, and Ashford University lost contact with the remaining 5,977 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Ashford University Represent 0.0% of the Class of 2012 and 0.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
None of the students in Ashford University's class of 2012 were classified as as a "returning" student attending classes "part-time".
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.8% after six years and 38.6% after eight years.
