by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many BVU first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore BVU retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 74% students making it past their freshmen year, BVU 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 Iowa, the average is 68.94%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| BVU | 74% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Iowa | 68.94% |
How many of the estimated 642 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
Four years after beginning their degree, 47% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 58% of the students had graduated and after eight years 59% of this class completed their degree.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official BVU graduation rate 58%.
The average BVU student takes 4.15 years to graduate with their bachelors.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 598 | 54% |
| Six Years | 642 | 58% |
| Eight Years | 7 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 460 | 41% |
Approximately 460 students or 41% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 460 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
223 transferred to another institution.
BVU lost contact with the remaining 231 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 223 | 48.5% |
| Dropped Out | 231 | 50.2% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 40% |
| Hispanic | 33% |
| International | 43% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 100% |
| Unknown | 75% |
| White | 68% |
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 BVU 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 students at Buena Vista University represent 19% of the students in the class of 2015, and 19.16% of BVU bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 47%, first-time students in the BVU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the BVU graduation rate was 59%, and by the eight year mark, 60% 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.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | BVU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 47% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 59% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 60% | 47.82% |
84 first-time / full-time students or 40% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
65 transferred to another institution.
BVU lost contact with the remaining 19 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 65 | 77.38% |
| Dropped Out | 19 | 22.62% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on BVU first-time, part-time students.
771 BVU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 69.52% 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 62%, 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 63%.
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.
| Returning / Full-Time Completions | BVU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 62% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 63% | 55.07% |
285 non first-time / part-time students or 37% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
117 transferred to another institution.
BVU lost contact with the remaining 164 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 1.40% |
| Transferred | 117 | 41.05% |
| Dropped Out | 164 | 57.54% |
129 BVU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 11.63% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 29%, 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 29%.
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.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | BVU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 29% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 29% | 37.80% |
91 non first-time / part-time students or 71% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
41 transferred to another institution.
BVU lost contact with the remaining 48 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 2.20% |
| Transferred | 41 | 45.05% |
| Dropped Out | 48 | 52.75% |
