by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding BHCC retention and graduation rates. First year retention rates let you know how many first-time, full-time students students come back for their second year. Graduation rates tell you how many students complete their degree and how long it takes.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 67% students making it past their freshmen year, BHCC has freshmen retention rates below the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Massachusetts, the average is 73.02%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| BHCC | 67% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Massachusetts | 73.02% |
There were approximately 696 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 21% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 23% of the students had graduated and after eight years 23% of this class completed their degree.
Any student who completes their bachelor's degree within six years is considered to have graduated on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This makes the offical BHCC graduation rate 23%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 623 | 21% |
| Six Years | 696 | 23% |
| Eight Years | 0 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 2279 | 77% |
The non-completers rate is anyone who is not still enrolled at the institution after eight years. Both transfer students and drop-outs could be included in this group.
Approximately 2279 students or 77% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2279 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
1409 transferred to another institution.
BHCC lost contact with the remaining 799 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 1409 | 61.8% |
| Dropped Out | 799 | 35.1% |
Traditional first-time, full-time students under 25 tend to graduate in four years far more often than other students. Some schools serve mostly traditional students while others serve more 'non-traditional' students — part-timers or those returning after time away — who commonly take longer to finish.
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.
A meaningful share of students at BHCC are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at Bunker Hill Community College represent 39.06% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the BHCC graduation rate was 29%, and by the eight year mark, 29% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| Completions | BHCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 27% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 29% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 29% | 47.82% |
820 first-time / full-time students or 71% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
27 are still enrolled.
565 transferred to another institution.
BHCC lost contact with the remaining 228 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 27 | 3.29% |
| Transferred | 565 | 68.90% |
| Dropped Out | 228 | 27.80% |
First-time / part-time students at Bunker Hill Community College represent 30.82% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the BHCC graduation rate was 18%, and by the eight year mark, 18% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, and 23.72% after eight years.
| Completions | BHCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 15% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 18% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 18% | 23.72% |
754 first-time / part-time students or 82% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
27 are still enrolled.
344 transferred to another institution.
BHCC lost contact with the remaining 383 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 27 | 3.58% |
| Transferred | 344 | 45.62% |
| Dropped Out | 383 | 50.80% |
Returning / full-time students at Bunker Hill Community College represent 12.77% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the BHCC graduation rate was 26%, and by the eight year mark, 26% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Completions | BHCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 26% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 26% | 55.07% |
283 non first-time / part-time students or 74% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
232 transferred to another institution.
BHCC lost contact with the remaining 44 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 2.47% |
| Transferred | 232 | 81.98% |
| Dropped Out | 44 | 15.55% |
Returning / part-time students at Bunker Hill Community College represent 17.34% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the BHCC graduation rate was 18%, and by the eight year mark, 18% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 30.46% after four years, 36.03% after six years, and 37.80% after eight years.
| Completions | BHCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 17% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 18% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 18% | 37.80% |
422 non first-time / part-time students or 82% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
10 are still enrolled.
268 transferred to another institution.
BHCC lost contact with the remaining 144 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 10 | 2.37% |
| Transferred | 268 | 63.51% |
| Dropped Out | 144 | 34.12% |
