Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Bluefield State 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 Bluefield State 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 Bluefield State College
- Graduation Rates at Bluefield State College
Bluefield State College Has a Lower Than Average Freshman Retention Rate
In order to graduate you have to make it past freshman year. With only 69.0% of students staying on to become sophomores, Bluefield State College has freshman retention rates below the national average.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 72.0%. When looking at just colleges and universities in West Virginia, the average is 64.0%.
Bluefield State 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.
- 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, 40.0% of Bluefield State College Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Bluefield State College, there were 552 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2013. By 2015, six years after beginning their degree, 40.0% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 41.5% 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 58.5% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 324 students, 10 were still working towards their degree, 53 had transferred to a different institution, and Bluefield State College lost contact with the remaining 260 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 Bluefield State College Represent 48.9% of the Class of 2013 and 41.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 13.0%, first-time students in the Bluefield State College class of 2013 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time. After six years, the graduation rate was 33.7% and by 2017, 34.8% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 33.4% after four years, 47.6% after six years, and 49.2% after eight years.
Bluefield State College is Graduating Students Slower Than we Expected
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 Bluefield State College, we expected that after six years about 38.7% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Bluefield State College
65.2% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2013 had not Completed Their Degree by 2017
Of these 176 students, 6 were still working towards their degree, 53 had transferred to a different institution, and Bluefield State College lost contact with the remaining 117 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Bluefield State College Represent 2.4% of the Class of 2013 and 1.3% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 15.4%, first-time students in the Bluefield State College class of 2013 who attended classes part-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After eight years, the graduation rate was 23.1%.
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 Bluefield State College
76.9% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2013 had not Completed Their Degree by 2017
Of these 10 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 0 had transferred to a different institution, and Bluefield State College lost contact with the remaining 10 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Bluefield State College Represent 38.8% of the Class of 2013 and 46.7% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 48.6%, returning students in the Bluefield State College class of 2013 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 50.0%.
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 Bluefield State College
50.0% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2013 had not Completed Their Degree by 2017
Of these 107 students, 3 were still working towards their degree, 0 had transferred to a different institution, and Bluefield State College lost contact with the remaining 104 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Bluefield State College Represent 10.0% of the Class of 2013 and 10.9% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 43.6%, returning students in the Bluefield State College class of 2013 who attended classes part-time were more likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 45.4%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.7% after six years and 38.6% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at Bluefield State College
54.6% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2013 had not Completed Their Degree by 2017
Of these 30 students, 1 were still working towards their degree, 0 had transferred to a different institution, and Bluefield State College lost contact with the remaining 29 whom we assume dropped out.
