Bluffton Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Bluffton University 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Are students coming back to Bluffton after their first year? Are Bluffton students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.

• Bluffton Retention Rate
• Bluffton 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
• Bluffton Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Bluffton Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.

With 72% students making it past their freshmen year, Bluffton 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 Ohio, the average is 69.84%.

Bluffton Graduation Rates

There were approximately 161 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?

After four years 45% of the cohort graduated. After six years 51% had completed their degree, and 52% after eight years.

The official graduation rate of Bluffton is 51%. 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 average Bluffton student takes 4.18 years to graduate with their bachelors.

Bluffton Graduation Rates vs. National Average

Request More Info About Bluffton University >

Bluffton Drop Out Rate

Approximately 150 students or 48% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 150 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 99 transferred to another institution.

• Bluffton lost contact with the remaining 51 who we assumed dropped out.

Bluffton Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

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. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.

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 Bluffton are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.

First-Time / Full-Time Bluffton Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Bluffton University represent 80% of the students in the class of 2015, and 78.88% of Bluffton bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 45%, first-time students in the Bluffton class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

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

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

First-Time / Full-Time Bluffton Drop Out Rates

124 first-time / full-time students or 49% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 85 transferred to another institution.

• Bluffton lost contact with the remaining 39 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Bluffton first-time, part-time students.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

41 Bluffton students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 13.10% 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 51%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 54%.

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.

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

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

19 non first-time / part-time students or 46% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 14 transferred to another institution.

• Bluffton lost contact with the remaining 5 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

21 Bluffton students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 6.71% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 62%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 67%.

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.

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

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

7 non 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.

• 0 transferred to another institution.

• Bluffton lost contact with the remaining 7 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