Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how BYU'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 BYU. 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 BYU
- Graduation Rates at Brigham Young University - Provo
BYU Has One of the Best Freshman Retention Rates in the Country
With 90.0% of students staying on for a second year, Brigham Young University - Provo is one of the best in the country when it comes to freshman retention.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 68.0%. When looking at just colleges and universities in Utah, the average is 57.0%.
BYU 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, 62.8% of BYU Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At BYU, there were 7,373 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2014. By 2016, six years after beginning their degree, 62.8% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 84.8% 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 15.2% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 1,119 students, 211 were still working towards their degree, 630 had transferred to a different institution, and BYU lost contact with the remaining 277 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 BYU Represent 71.6% of the Class of 2014 and 73.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 31.0%, first-time students in the BYU class of 2014 who attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After six years, the graduation rate was 59.2% and by 2018, 87.2% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 33.3% after four years, 46.2% after six years, and 47.7% after eight years.
BYU 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 BYU, we expected that after six years about 78.8% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at BYU
12.8% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2014 had not Completed Their Degree by 2018
Of these 676 students, 175 were still working towards their degree, 406 had transferred to a different institution, and BYU lost contact with the remaining 95 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at BYU Represent 3.5% of the Class of 2014 and 2.9% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 38.1%, first-time students in the BYU class of 2014 who attended classes part-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 70.8%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 21.4% after six years and 23.7% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at BYU
29.2% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2014 had not Completed Their Degree by 2018
Of these 75 students, 21 were still working towards their degree, 35 had transferred to a different institution, and BYU lost contact with the remaining 19 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at BYU Represent 19.3% of the Class of 2014 and 18.9% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 79.4%, returning students in the BYU class of 2014 who attended classes full-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 83.0%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 53.9% after six years and 55.2% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Full-time Graduation Rates at BYU
17.0% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2014 had not Completed Their Degree by 2018
Of these 242 students, 10 were still working towards their degree, 146 had transferred to a different institution, and BYU lost contact with the remaining 86 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at BYU Represent 5.6% of the Class of 2014 and 4.7% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 65.9%, returning students in the BYU class of 2014 who attended classes part-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 70.0%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.0% after six years and 37.9% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at BYU
30.0% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2014 had not Completed Their Degree by 2018
Of these 125 students, 5 were still working towards their degree, 43 had transferred to a different institution, and BYU lost contact with the remaining 77 whom we assume dropped out.
