by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding CSU retention and graduation rates. First year retention rates let you know how many first-time, full-time students students come back for their second year. Graduation rates tell you how many students complete their degree and how long it takes.
The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 79% students making it past their freshmen year, CSU 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 Pennsylvania, the average is 73.24%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| CSU | 79% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Pennsylvania | 73.24% |
There were approximately 223 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 43% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 52% of the students had graduated and after eight years 56% of this class completed their degree.
Any student who completes their bachelor's degree within six years is considered to have graduated on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This makes the offical CSU graduation rate 52%.
The average CSU student takes 4.18 years to graduate with their bachelors.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 131 | 30% |
| Six Years | 223 | 52% |
| Eight Years | 19 | 4% |
| Did Not Complete | 189 | 44% |
Approximately 189 students or 44% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 189 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
12 transferred to another institution.
CSU lost contact with the remaining 177 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 12 | 6.3% |
| Dropped Out | 177 | 93.7% |
First-time, full-time students, under the age of 25 are known as traditional students. These students are more likely to graduate in four years than so called 'non-traditional' students that includes part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. Some schools cater to non-traditional students and it may affect their overall graduation rates.
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 CSU are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
How does this school do graduating the type of student you are most concerned bout?
First-time / full-time students at Clarks Summit University represent 31% of the students in the class of 2015, and 43.50% of CSU bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 43%, first-time students in the CSU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the CSU graduation rate was 72%, 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 | CSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 43% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 72% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 80% | 47.82% |
27 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.
6 transferred to another institution.
CSU lost contact with the remaining 21 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 6 | 22.22% |
| Dropped Out | 21 | 77.78% |
First-time / part-time students at Clarks Summit University represent 7.66% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 58%, first-time, part-time students in the CSU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 67%.
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 | CSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 30% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 58% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 67% | 23.72% |
11 first-time / part-time students or 33% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
1 transferred to another institution.
CSU lost contact with the remaining 10 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 1 | 9.09% |
| Dropped Out | 10 | 90.91% |
123 CSU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 28.54% 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 54%, 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 57%.
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 | CSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 54% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 57% | 55.07% |
53 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.
2 transferred to another institution.
CSU lost contact with the remaining 51 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 2 | 3.77% |
| Dropped Out | 51 | 96.23% |
141 CSU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 32.71% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 29%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 30%.
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 | CSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 29% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 30% | 37.80% |
98 non first-time / part-time students or 70% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
3 transferred to another institution.
CSU lost contact with the remaining 95 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 3 | 3.06% |
| Dropped Out | 95 | 96.94% |
