Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Bergen Community College'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 Bergen Community College . 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 Bergen Community College
- Graduation Rates at Bergen Community College
Bergen Community College's Freshman Retention Rate is About Average
With 66.0% of students making it past their freshman year, Bergen Community College has freshman retention rates similar to the national average.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 69.0% . When looking at just colleges and universities in New Jersey , the average is 74.0% .
Bergen Community College 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, 28.7% of Bergen Community College Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Bergen Community College , there were 6,065 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2015 . By 2017 , six years after beginning their degree, 28.7% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 30.5% 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 69.5% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 4,215 students, 124 were still working towards their degree, 1,585 had transferred to a different institution, and Bergen Community College lost contact with the remaining 2,505 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 Bergen Community College Represent 55.7% of the Class of 2015 and 61.5% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of N/A , first-time students in the Bergen Community College class of 2015 who attended classes full-time After six years, the graduation rate was 31.8% and by 2019 ,33.7% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 35.8% after four years, 46.4% after six years, and 47.8% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Bergen Community College
66.3% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 2,240 students, 69 were still working towards their degree, 800 had transferred to a different institution, and Bergen Community College lost contact with the remaining 1,371 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Bergen Community College Represent 18.2% of the Class of 2015 and 11.3% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 16.8% , first-time students in the Bergen Community College class of 2015 who attended classes part-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 19.1% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 21.6% after six years and 23.7% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at Bergen Community College
80.9% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 892 students, 28 were still working towards their degree, 286 had transferred to a different institution, and Bergen Community College lost contact with the remaining 578 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Bergen Community College Represent 17.0% of the Class of 2015 and 18.7% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 32.4% , returning students in the Bergen Community College class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were among the least likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 33.5% .
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 Bergen Community College
66.5% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 688 students, 17 were still working towards their degree, 314 had transferred to a different institution, and Bergen Community College lost contact with the remaining 357 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Bergen Community College Represent 9.1% of the Class of 2015 and 8.5% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 27.0% , returning students in the Bergen Community College 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 28.5% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.0% after six years and 37.8% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at Bergen Community College
71.5% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 394 students, 10 were still working towards their degree, 185 had transferred to a different institution, and Bergen Community College lost contact with the remaining 199 whom we assume dropped out.