by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding CMU CLAS 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.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 70% students making it past their freshmen year, CMU CLAS 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 Missouri, the average is 69.43%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| CMU CLAS | 70% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Missouri | 69.43% |
How many of the estimated 231 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
43% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 54% in six years, and 55% in eight years.
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 CMU CLAS graduation rate 54%.
The average CMU CLAS student takes 4.92 years to graduate with their bachelors.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 197 | 46% |
| Six Years | 231 | 54% |
| Eight Years | 4 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 194 | 45% |
Approximately 194 students or 45% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 194 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
145 transferred to another institution.
CMU CLAS lost contact with the remaining 48 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 145 | 74.7% |
| Dropped Out | 48 | 24.7% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Black / African-American | 29% |
| Hispanic | 50% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 20% |
| Unknown | 50% |
| White | 48% |
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 CMU CLAS 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 Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences represent 66% of the students in the class of 2015, and 64.07% of CMU CLAS bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 43%, first-time students in the CMU CLAS class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the CMU CLAS graduation rate was 52%, and by the eight year mark, 53% 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 | CMU CLAS | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 43% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 52% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 53% | 47.82% |
132 first-time / full-time students or 47% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
109 transferred to another institution.
CMU CLAS lost contact with the remaining 23 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 109 | 82.58% |
| Dropped Out | 23 | 17.42% |
First-time / part-time students at Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences represent 0.23% of the students in the class of 2015.
| First-Time / Part-Time Completions | CMU CLAS | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 1% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 1% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 1% | 23.72% |
1 first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
0 transferred to another institution.
CMU CLAS lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dropped Out | 1 | 100.00% |
132 CMU CLAS students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 30.77% 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 58%, 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 59%.
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 | CMU CLAS | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 58% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 59% | 55.07% |
54 non first-time / part-time students or 41% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
33 transferred to another institution.
CMU CLAS lost contact with the remaining 20 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.85% |
| Transferred | 33 | 61.11% |
| Dropped Out | 20 | 37.04% |
13 CMU CLAS students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 3.03% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 46%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 46%.
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.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | CMU CLAS | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 46% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 46% | 37.80% |
7 non first-time / part-time students or 54% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
3 transferred to another institution.
CMU CLAS lost contact with the remaining 4 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 3 | 42.86% |
| Dropped Out | 4 | 57.14% |
