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 88.0% 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 69.0% . When looking at just colleges and universities in Utah , the average is 63.0% .
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, 66.7% of BYU Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At BYU , there were 6,542 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2015 . By 2017 , six years after beginning their degree, 66.7% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 89.1% 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 10.9% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 712 students, 26 were still working towards their degree, 438 had transferred to a different institution, and BYU lost contact with the remaining 247 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 76.0% of the Class of 2015 and 76.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 29.0% , first-time students in the BYU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After six years, the graduation rate was 61.9% and by 2019 ,89.2% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 34.1% after four years, 45.8% after six years, and 47.4% 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 78.9% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at BYU
10.8% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 535 students, 16 were still working towards their degree, 318 had transferred to a different institution, and BYU lost contact with the remaining 201 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at BYU Represent 1.7% of the Class of 2015 and 1.7% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 48.2% , first-time students in the BYU class of 2015 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 88.4% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 21.3% after six years and 23.4% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at BYU
11.6% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 13 students, 2 were still working towards their degree, 7 had transferred to a different institution, and BYU lost contact with the remaining 4 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at BYU Represent 17.9% of the Class of 2015 and 18.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 86.4% , returning students in the BYU class of 2015 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 90.2% .
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 BYU
9.8% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 114 students, 4 were still working towards their degree, 77 had transferred to a different institution, and BYU lost contact with the remaining 33 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at BYU Represent 4.4% of the Class of 2015 and 4.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 76.2% , returning students in the BYU class of 2015 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 83.1% .
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
16.9% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 49 students, 4 were still working towards their degree, 36 had transferred to a different institution, and BYU lost contact with the remaining 9 whom we assume dropped out.
