by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding CCCTI 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 71% students making it past their freshmen year, CCCTI 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 North Carolina, the average is 66.53%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| CCCTI | 71% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| North Carolina | 66.53% |
There were approximately 397 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 30% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 34% of the students had graduated and after eight years 35% 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 CCCTI graduation rate 34%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 351 | 30% |
| Six Years | 397 | 34% |
| Eight Years | 11 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 765 | 65% |
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 765 students or 65% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 765 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
361 transferred to another institution.
CCCTI lost contact with the remaining 393 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 361 | 47.2% |
| Dropped Out | 393 | 51.4% |
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.
A meaningful share of students at CCCTI are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Looking at the individual cohorts below may tell you more than the overall graduation rate alone.
First-time / full-time students at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute represent 34.61% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CCCTI graduation rate was 38%, and by the eight year mark, 40% 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 | CCCTI | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 36% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 38% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 40% | 47.82% |
245 first-time / full-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
113 transferred to another institution.
CCCTI lost contact with the remaining 127 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 2.04% |
| Transferred | 113 | 46.12% |
| Dropped Out | 127 | 51.84% |
First-time / part-time students at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute represent 22.51% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CCCTI graduation rate was 26%, and by the eight year mark, 27% 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 | CCCTI | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 20% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 26% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 27% | 23.72% |
193 first-time / part-time students or 73% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
58 transferred to another institution.
CCCTI lost contact with the remaining 132 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 1.55% |
| Transferred | 58 | 30.05% |
| Dropped Out | 132 | 68.39% |
Returning / full-time students at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute represent 17.48% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CCCTI graduation rate was 36%, and by the eight year mark, 36% 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 | CCCTI | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 36% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 36% | 55.07% |
131 non first-time / part-time students or 64% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
76 transferred to another institution.
CCCTI lost contact with the remaining 54 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.76% |
| Transferred | 76 | 58.02% |
| Dropped Out | 54 | 41.22% |
Returning / part-time students at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute represent 25.40% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CCCTI graduation rate was 33%, and by the eight year mark, 34% 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 | CCCTI | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 30% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 33% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 34% | 37.80% |
196 non first-time / part-time students or 66% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
114 transferred to another institution.
CCCTI lost contact with the remaining 80 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 1.02% |
| Transferred | 114 | 58.16% |
| Dropped Out | 80 | 40.82% |
