by our College Data Analytics TeamAre students coming back to Central after their first year? Are Central students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 73% students making it past their freshmen year, Central 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 Iowa, the average is 68.94%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Central | 73% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Iowa | 68.94% |
How many of the estimated 321 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
Four years after beginning their degree, 64% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 69% of the students had graduated and after eight years 69% of this class completed their degree.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official Central graduation rate 69%.
The typical Central student takes 4.07 years to complete their bachelor's degree.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 295 | 64% |
| Six Years | 321 | 69% |
| Eight Years | 0 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 142 | 31% |
Approximately 142 students or 31% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 142 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
142 transferred to another institution.
Central lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 142 | 100.0% |
| Dropped Out | 0 | 0.0% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 75% |
| Black / African-American | 64% |
| Hispanic | 70% |
| Unknown | 69% |
| White | 69% |
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 Central 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 students at Central College represent 90% of the students in the class of 2015, and 89.10% of Central bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 64%, first-time students in the Central class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Central graduation rate was 69%, and by the eight year mark, 69% 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.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | Central | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 64% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 69% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 69% | 47.82% |
129 first-time / full-time students or 31% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
129 transferred to another institution.
Central lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 129 | 100.00% |
| Dropped Out | 0 | 0.00% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Central first-time, part-time students.
48 Central students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 10.37% 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 73%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 73%.
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.
| Returning / Full-Time Completions | Central | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 73% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 73% | 55.07% |
13 non first-time / part-time students or 27% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
13 transferred to another institution.
Central lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 13 | 100.00% |
| Dropped Out | 0 | 0.00% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Central returning, part-time students.
