by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many The Citadel 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 The Citadel. 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 86% students making it past their freshmen year, The Citadel 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 South Carolina, the average is 65.91%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| The Citadel | 86% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| South Carolina | 65.91% |
How many of the estimated 652 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 65% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 71% of the students had graduated and after eight years 71% 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 The Citadel graduation rate 71%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 603 | 65% |
| Six Years | 652 | 71% |
| Eight Years | 7 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 264 | 29% |
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 264 students or 29% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 264 students who did not complete their degree?
1 are still enrolled.
185 transferred to another institution.
The Citadel lost contact with the remaining 72 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.4% |
| Transferred | 185 | 70.1% |
| Dropped Out | 72 | 27.3% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Asian | 50% |
| Black / African-American | 54% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 71% |
| International | 75% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 64% |
| Unknown | 100% |
| White | 77% |
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 The Citadel are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Looking at the individual cohorts below may tell you more than the overall graduation rate alone.
First-time / full-time students at Citadel Military College of South Carolina represent 79.09% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the The Citadel graduation rate was 70%, and by the eight year mark, 71% 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 | The Citadel | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 64% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 70% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 71% | 47.82% |
212 first-time / full-time students or 29% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
6 are still enrolled.
146 transferred to another institution.
The Citadel lost contact with the remaining 60 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 6 | 2.83% |
| Transferred | 146 | 68.87% |
| Dropped Out | 60 | 28.30% |
At this time we lack data for this cohort at Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
Returning / full-time students at Citadel Military College of South Carolina represent 10.13% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the The Citadel graduation rate was 72%, and by the eight year mark, 74% 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 | The Citadel | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 72% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 74% | 55.07% |
24 non first-time / part-time students or 26% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
18 transferred to another institution.
The Citadel lost contact with the remaining 6 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 18 | 75.00% |
| Dropped Out | 6 | 25.00% |
Returning / part-time students at Citadel Military College of South Carolina represent 10.78% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the The Citadel graduation rate was 71%, and by the eight year mark, 72% 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 | The Citadel | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 70% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 71% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 72% | 37.80% |
28 non first-time / part-time students or 28% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
21 transferred to another institution.
The Citadel lost contact with the remaining 6 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 3.57% |
| Transferred | 21 | 75.00% |
| Dropped Out | 6 | 21.43% |
