by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many Columbia College South Carolina first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore Columbia College South Carolina retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 59% students making it past their freshmen year, Columbia College South Carolina 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 South Carolina, the average is 65.91%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Columbia College South Carolina | 59% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| South Carolina | 65.91% |
There were approximately 187 students in the class of 2015. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
After four years 45% of the cohort graduated. After six years 49% had completed their degree, and 51% after 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 Columbia College South Carolina graduation rate 49%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Columbia College South Carolina? The standard length of time for most students is 4.11 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 169 | 45% |
| Six Years | 187 | 49% |
| Eight Years | 6 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 186 | 49% |
Approximately 186 students or 49% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 186 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
132 transferred to another institution.
Columbia College South Carolina lost contact with the remaining 51 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 132 | 71.0% |
| Dropped Out | 51 | 27.4% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 100% |
| Black / African-American | 68% |
| Hispanic | 33% |
| International | 100% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 67% |
| Unknown | 50% |
| White | 63% |
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 Columbia College South Carolina 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 Columbia College represent 51% of the students in the class of 2015, and 50.80% of Columbia College South Carolina bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 45%, first-time students in the Columbia College South Carolina class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Columbia College South Carolina graduation rate was 49%, and by the eight year mark, 49% 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 | Columbia College South Carolina | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 45% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 49% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 49% | 47.82% |
99 first-time / full-time students or 51% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
84 transferred to another institution.
Columbia College South Carolina lost contact with the remaining 15 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 84 | 84.85% |
| Dropped Out | 15 | 15.15% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Columbia College South Carolina first-time, part-time students.
108 Columbia College South Carolina students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 28.50% 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 51%, 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 52%.
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 | Columbia College South Carolina | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 51% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 52% | 55.07% |
52 non first-time / part-time students or 48% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
32 transferred to another institution.
Columbia College South Carolina lost contact with the remaining 20 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 32 | 61.54% |
| Dropped Out | 20 | 38.46% |
76 Columbia College South Carolina students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 20.05% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 49%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 54%.
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 | Columbia College South Carolina | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 49% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 54% | 37.80% |
35 non first-time / part-time students or 46% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
16 transferred to another institution.
Columbia College South Carolina lost contact with the remaining 16 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 8.57% |
| Transferred | 16 | 45.71% |
| Dropped Out | 16 | 45.71% |
