BLC Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Bethany Lutheran College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Make an informed decision about your education by understanding BLC 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.

• BLC Retention Rate
• BLC Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• BLC Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

BLC Retention Rate

The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.

With 87% students making it past their freshmen year, BLC 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 Minnesota, the average is 67.05%.

BLC Graduation Rates

Of the 113 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

39% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 52% in six years, and 53% in eight years.

The official graduation rate of BLC is 52%. This is the percentage of students who completed their degree within 150% of the published time. That means six years for a standard bachelor's degree program.

The typical BLC student takes 4.25 years to complete their bachelor's degree.

BLC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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BLC Drop Out Rate

Approximately 102 students or 47% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 102 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 80 transferred to another institution.

• BLC lost contact with the remaining 21 who we assumed dropped out.

BLC Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

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 BLC 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 BLC Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Bethany Lutheran College represent 75% of the students in the class of 2015, and 74.34% of BLC bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 39%, first-time students in the BLC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the BLC graduation rate was 51%, and by the eight year mark, 52% 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.

BLC First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time BLC Drop Out Rates

79 first-time / full-time students or 48% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 64 transferred to another institution.

• BLC lost contact with the remaining 14 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Bethany Lutheran College represent 0.46% of the students in the class of 2015.

First-Time / Part-Time BLC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time BLC Drop Out Rates

1 first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• BLC lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

49 BLC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 22.48% 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 57%, 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 59%.

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.

BLC Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time BLC Drop Out Rates

20 non first-time / part-time students or 41% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 14 transferred to another institution.

• BLC lost contact with the remaining 6 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

4 BLC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 1.83% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 25%, 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 50%.

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.

BLC Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time BLC Drop Out Rates

2 non first-time / part-time students or 50% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• BLC lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• Image Credit: By Swampyank under License