Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how Calvin'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 Calvin . 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 Calvin
- Graduation Rates at Calvin University
Calvin Has One of the Best Freshman Retention Rates in the Country
With 87.0% of students staying on for a second year, Calvin University 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 Michigan , the average is 71.0% .
Calvin 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, 72.1% of Calvin Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At Calvin , there were 1,109 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2015 . By 2017 , six years after beginning their degree, 72.1% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 72.9% 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 27.1% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 302 students, 6 were still working towards their degree, 204 had transferred to a different institution, and Calvin lost contact with the remaining 91 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 Calvin Represent 87.1% of the Class of 2015 and 87.6% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 59.0% , first-time students in the Calvin class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were among the most likely in the nation to graduate on time. After six years, the graduation rate was 72.6% and by 2019 ,73.3% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 35.8% after four years, 46.4% after six years, and 47.8% after eight years.
Calvin 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 Calvin , we expected that after six years about 76.0% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at Calvin
26.7% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 258 students, 5 were still working towards their degree, 175 had transferred to a different institution, and Calvin lost contact with the remaining 78 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at Calvin Represent 0.1% of the Class of 2015 and 0.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 0.0% , first-time students in the Calvin class of 2015 who attended classes part-time were among the least likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 0.0% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 21.6% after six years and 23.7% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at Calvin
100.0% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 1 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 1 had transferred to a different institution, and Calvin lost contact with the remaining 0 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at Calvin Represent 12.6% of the Class of 2015 and 12.3% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 70.0% , returning students in the Calvin class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 70.7% .
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 Calvin
29.3% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 41 students, 1 were still working towards their degree, 28 had transferred to a different institution, and Calvin lost contact with the remaining 12 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at Calvin Represent 0.2% of the Class of 2015 and 0.1% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 50.0% , returning students in the Calvin class of 2015 who attended classes part-time were more likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 50.0% .
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.0% after six years and 37.8% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at Calvin
50.0% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2015 had not Completed Their Degree by 2019
Of these 1 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 0 had transferred to a different institution, and Calvin lost contact with the remaining 1 whom we assume dropped out.
