by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at COTC? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 46% students making it past their freshmen year, COTC 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 Ohio, the average is 69.84%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| COTC | 46% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Ohio | 69.84% |
Of the 422 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
14% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 20% in six years, and 21% 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 COTC graduation rate 20%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 357 | 17% |
| Six Years | 422 | 20% |
| Eight Years | 18 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,668 | 79% |
Approximately 1668 students or 79% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1668 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
660 transferred to another institution.
COTC lost contact with the remaining 980 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 660 | 39.6% |
| Dropped Out | 980 | 58.8% |
Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.
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 COTC are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.
First-time / full-time students at Central Ohio Technical College represent 33% of the students in the class of 2015, and 27.25% of COTC bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 14%, first-time students in the COTC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the COTC graduation rate was 17%, and by the eight year mark, 18% 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 | COTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 14% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 17% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 18% | 47.82% |
569 first-time / full-time students or 82% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
191 transferred to another institution.
COTC lost contact with the remaining 371 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 191 | 33.57% |
| Dropped Out | 371 | 65.20% |
First-time / part-time students at Central Ohio Technical College represent 21.46% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 11%, first-time, part-time students in the COTC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 12%.
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 Completions | COTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 6% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 11% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 12% | 23.72% |
398 first-time / part-time students or 88% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
109 transferred to another institution.
COTC lost contact with the remaining 280 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 2.26% |
| Transferred | 109 | 27.39% |
| Dropped Out | 280 | 70.35% |
483 COTC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 22.83% 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 26%, 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 27%.
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 | COTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 26% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 27% | 55.07% |
353 non first-time / part-time students or 73% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
189 transferred to another institution.
COTC lost contact with the remaining 161 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 0.85% |
| Transferred | 189 | 53.54% |
| Dropped Out | 161 | 45.61% |
485 COTC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 22.92% 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.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | COTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 27% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 28% | 37.80% |
348 non first-time / part-time students or 72% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
171 transferred to another institution.
COTC lost contact with the remaining 168 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 2.59% |
| Transferred | 171 | 49.14% |
| Dropped Out | 168 | 48.28% |
