by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Chattanooga State Community College 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 percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 57% students making it past their freshmen year, Chattanooga State Community College 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 Tennessee, the average is 71.48%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Chattanooga State Community College | 57% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Tennessee | 71.48% |
There were approximately 824 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 24% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 28% of the students had graduated and after eight years 29% 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 Chattanooga State Community College graduation rate 28%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 714 | 24% |
| Six Years | 824 | 28% |
| Eight Years | 32 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 2063 | 71% |
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 2063 students or 71% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2063 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
860 transferred to another institution.
Chattanooga State Community College lost contact with the remaining 1152 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 860 | 41.7% |
| Dropped Out | 1152 | 55.8% |
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 Chattanooga State Community College are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at Chattanooga State Community College represent 58.75% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Chattanooga State Community College graduation rate was 27%, and by the eight year mark, 28% 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 | Chattanooga State Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 23% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 27% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 28% | 47.82% |
1237 first-time / full-time students or 72% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
37 are still enrolled.
491 transferred to another institution.
Chattanooga State Community College lost contact with the remaining 709 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 37 | 2.99% |
| Transferred | 491 | 39.69% |
| Dropped Out | 709 | 57.32% |
First-time / part-time students at Chattanooga State Community College represent 9.46% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Chattanooga State Community College graduation rate was 20%, and by the eight year mark, 21% 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 | Chattanooga State Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 14% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 20% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 21% | 23.72% |
217 first-time / part-time students or 79% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
50 transferred to another institution.
Chattanooga State Community College lost contact with the remaining 162 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 2.30% |
| Transferred | 50 | 23.04% |
| Dropped Out | 162 | 74.65% |
Returning / full-time students at Chattanooga State Community College represent 14.29% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Chattanooga State Community College graduation rate was 34%, and by the eight year mark, 35% 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 | Chattanooga State Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 34% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 35% | 55.07% |
271 non first-time / part-time students or 65% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
146 transferred to another institution.
Chattanooga State Community College lost contact with the remaining 121 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 1.48% |
| Transferred | 146 | 53.87% |
| Dropped Out | 121 | 44.65% |
Returning / part-time students at Chattanooga State Community College represent 17.51% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Chattanooga State Community College graduation rate was 33%, and by the eight year mark, 34% 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 | Chattanooga State Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 29% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 33% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 34% | 37.80% |
338 non first-time / part-time students or 66% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
173 transferred to another institution.
Chattanooga State Community College lost contact with the remaining 160 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 1.48% |
| Transferred | 173 | 51.18% |
| Dropped Out | 160 | 47.34% |
