Colby Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Colby College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Make an informed decision about your education by understanding Colby 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.

• Colby Retention Rate
• Colby Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• Colby Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Colby Retention Rate

Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.

With 94% students making it past their freshmen year, Colby 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 Maine, the average is 71.23%.

Colby Graduation Rates

There were approximately 485 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?

Four years after beginning their degree, 84% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 88% of the students had graduated and after eight years 88% 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 Colby graduation rate 88%.

Colby Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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.

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Colby Drop Out Rate

Approximately 64 students or 12% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 64 students who did not complete their degree?

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 46 transferred to another institution.

• Colby lost contact with the remaining 17 who we assumed dropped out.

Colby Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

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 Colby 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 Colby Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Colby College represent 92.56% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Colby graduation rate was 88%, and by the eight year mark, 88% 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.

Colby First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time Colby Drop Out Rates

59 first-time / full-time students or 12% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 41 transferred to another institution.

• Colby lost contact with the remaining 17 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

We don’t have data for this cohort at Colby College.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

Returning / full-time students at Colby College represent 7.44% of the students in the class of 2023.

After six years, the Colby graduation rate was 88%, and by the eight year mark, 88% 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.

Colby Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time Colby Drop Out Rates

5 non first-time / part-time students or 12% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 5 transferred to another institution.

• Colby lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data for this cohort at Colby College.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics
• Image Credit: By Nickline4 under License