CVCC Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Catawba Valley Community College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Are students coming back to CVCC after their first year? Are CVCC students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.

• CVCC Retention Rate
• CVCC Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• CVCC Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

CVCC Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.

With 61% students making it past their freshmen year, CVCC has freshmen retention rates similar to 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%.

CVCC Graduation Rates

How many of the estimated 395 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?

Four years after beginning their degree, 25% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 24% of the students had graduated and after eight years 25% 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 CVCC graduation rate 24%.

CVCC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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CVCC Drop Out Rate

Approximately 1257 students or 75% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 1257 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 465 transferred to another institution.

• CVCC lost contact with the remaining 770 who we assumed dropped out.

CVCC Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

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. 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 CVCC 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 CVCC Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Catawba Valley Community College represent 31% of the students in the class of 2015, and 39.75% of CVCC bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 25%, first-time students in the CVCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the CVCC graduation rate was 30%, and by the eight year mark, 32% 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.

CVCC First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time CVCC Drop Out Rates

352 first-time / full-time students or 68% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 155 transferred to another institution.

• CVCC lost contact with the remaining 192 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Catawba Valley Community College represent 42.99% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 15%, first-time, part-time students in the CVCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 17%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.

First-Time / Part-Time CVCC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time CVCC Drop Out Rates

601 first-time / part-time students or 83% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 10 are still enrolled.

• 163 transferred to another institution.

• CVCC lost contact with the remaining 428 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

85 CVCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 5.05% 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 39%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 40%.

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.

CVCC Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time CVCC Drop Out Rates

51 non first-time / part-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 35 transferred to another institution.

• CVCC lost contact with the remaining 15 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

352 CVCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 20.90% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 27%, 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 28%.

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.

CVCC Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time CVCC Drop Out Rates

253 non first-time / part-time students or 72% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 6 are still enrolled.

• 112 transferred to another institution.

• CVCC lost contact with the remaining 135 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics