by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many CMU CLAS first-year students return for their second year, and how many go on to graduate? Retention and graduation rates help you understand how students progress at CMU CLAS. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes 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 62% students making it past their freshmen year, CMU CLAS 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 Missouri, the average is 69.43%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| CMU CLAS | 62% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Missouri | 69.43% |
How many of the estimated 253 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 49% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 56% of the students had graduated and after eight years 57% 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 CMU CLAS graduation rate 56%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 218 | 49% |
| Six Years | 253 | 56% |
| Eight Years | 3 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 192 | 43% |
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 192 students or 43% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 192 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
135 transferred to another institution.
CMU CLAS lost contact with the remaining 55 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 135 | 70.3% |
| Dropped Out | 55 | 28.6% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 50% |
| Black / African-American | 53% |
| Hispanic | 33% |
| International | 41% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 50% |
| Unknown | 50% |
| White | 54% |
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.
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 and Sciences represent 60.71% of the students in the class of 2023.
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 this group is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| Completions | CMU CLAS | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 42% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 52% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 53% | 47.82% |
128 first-time / full-time students or 47% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
95 transferred to another institution.
CMU CLAS lost contact with the remaining 31 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 1.56% |
| Transferred | 95 | 74.22% |
| Dropped Out | 31 | 24.22% |
First-time / part-time students at Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences represent 0.22% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CMU CLAS graduation rate was 0%, and by the eight year mark, 0% 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 | CMU CLAS | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 0% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 0% | 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.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dropped Out | 1 | 100.00% |
Returning / full-time students at Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences represent 36.61% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CMU CLAS graduation rate was 65%, and by the eight year mark, 65% 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 | CMU CLAS | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 65% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 65% | 55.07% |
58 non first-time / part-time students or 35% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
36 transferred to another institution.
CMU CLAS lost contact with the remaining 22 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 36 | 62.07% |
| Dropped Out | 22 | 37.93% |
Returning / part-time students at Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences represent 2.46% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CMU CLAS graduation rate was 55%, and by the eight year mark, 55% 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 | CMU CLAS | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 45% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 55% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 55% | 37.80% |
5 non first-time / part-time students or 45% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
4 transferred to another institution.
CMU CLAS lost contact with the remaining 1 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 4 | 80.00% |
| Dropped Out | 1 | 20.00% |
