by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding CFCC 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 67% students making it past their freshmen year, CFCC 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 North Carolina, the average is 66.53%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| CFCC | 67% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| North Carolina | 66.53% |
Of the 4809 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 40% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 42% of the students had graduated and after eight years 43% 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 CFCC graduation rate 42%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 4516 | 40% |
| Six Years | 4809 | 42% |
| Eight Years | 85 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 6535 | 57% |
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 6535 students or 57% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 6535 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
2930 transferred to another institution.
CFCC lost contact with the remaining 3377 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 2930 | 44.8% |
| Dropped Out | 3377 | 51.7% |
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 CFCC 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 Cape Fear Community College represent 9.78% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CFCC graduation rate was 36%, and by the eight year mark, 37% 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 | CFCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 33% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 36% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 37% | 47.82% |
705 first-time / full-time students or 63% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
24 are still enrolled.
332 transferred to another institution.
CFCC lost contact with the remaining 349 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 24 | 3.40% |
| Transferred | 332 | 47.09% |
| Dropped Out | 349 | 49.50% |
First-time / part-time students at Cape Fear Community College represent 4.66% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CFCC graduation rate was 22%, and by the eight year mark, 22% 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 | CFCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 20% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 22% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 22% | 23.72% |
415 first-time / part-time students or 78% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
89 transferred to another institution.
CFCC lost contact with the remaining 317 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 2.17% |
| Transferred | 89 | 21.45% |
| Dropped Out | 317 | 76.39% |
Returning / full-time students at Cape Fear Community College represent 32.79% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CFCC graduation rate was 56%, and by the eight year mark, 56% 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 | CFCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 56% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 56% | 55.07% |
1632 non first-time / part-time students or 44% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
68 are still enrolled.
712 transferred to another institution.
CFCC lost contact with the remaining 852 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 68 | 4.17% |
| Transferred | 712 | 43.63% |
| Dropped Out | 852 | 52.21% |
Returning / part-time students at Cape Fear Community College represent 52.77% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CFCC graduation rate was 37%, and by the eight year mark, 37% 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 | CFCC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 34% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 37% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 37% | 37.80% |
3783 non first-time / part-time students or 63% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
127 are still enrolled.
1797 transferred to another institution.
CFCC lost contact with the remaining 1859 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 127 | 3.36% |
| Transferred | 1797 | 47.50% |
| Dropped Out | 1859 | 49.14% |
