by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding CIU 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 53% students making it past their freshmen year, CIU 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 South Carolina, the average is 65.91%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| CIU | 53% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| South Carolina | 65.91% |
How many of the estimated 120 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 76% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 81% of the students had graduated and after eight years 81% 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 CIU graduation rate 81%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 113 | 76% |
| Six Years | 120 | 81% |
| Eight Years | 0 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 29 | 19% |
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 29 students or 19% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 29 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
9 transferred to another institution.
CIU lost contact with the remaining 18 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 9 | 31.0% |
| Dropped Out | 18 | 62.1% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Black / African-American | 40% |
| Hispanic | 57% |
| International | 100% |
| White | 75% |
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 CIU 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 Columbia International University represent 55.70% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CIU graduation rate was 80%, and by the eight year mark, 80% 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 | CIU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 72% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 80% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 80% | 47.82% |
17 first-time / full-time students or 20% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
6 transferred to another institution.
CIU lost contact with the remaining 10 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 5.88% |
| Transferred | 6 | 35.29% |
| Dropped Out | 10 | 58.82% |
First-time / part-time students at Columbia International University represent 1.34% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CIU graduation rate was 100%, and by the eight year mark, 100% 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 | CIU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 100% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 100% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 100% | 23.72% |
Returning / full-time students at Columbia International University represent 40.94% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CIU graduation rate was 80%, and by the eight year mark, 80% 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 | CIU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 80% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 80% | 55.07% |
12 non first-time / part-time students or 20% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
3 transferred to another institution.
CIU lost contact with the remaining 8 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 8.33% |
| Transferred | 3 | 25.00% |
| Dropped Out | 8 | 66.67% |
Returning / part-time students at Columbia International University represent 2.01% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the CIU graduation rate was 100%, and by the eight year mark, 100% 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 | CIU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 100% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 100% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 100% | 37.80% |
