Why are Retention and Graduation Rates Important?
Make an informed decision about your education by understanding how retention and graduation rates impact you. First year retention rates let you know how many students come back for their sophomore year. Graduation rates tell you how long it takes to complete a degree at CUW. Remember, every extra semester it takes to graduate will increase the cost of your degree.
On This Page You'll Find:
- What These Rates Have To Do With You
- First to Second Year Retention Rate at CUW
- Graduation Rates at Concordia University - Wisconsin
Freshman Retention Rate is About Average
With 76.0% of students making it past their freshman year, Concordia University - Wisconsin has freshman retention rates similar to the national average.
Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 71.0%. When looking at just colleges and universities in Wisconsin, the average is 69.0%.
CUW Freshmen Retention Rate Rankings
Any Questions?
- When you attend a school that is high quality and a good fit for you, it is more likely you'll return for another year. Read more about why retention is so important.
- How many students make it past freshman year? You might be surprised at the answer.
Overall, 57.2% of CUW Undergrads Finish Within Six Years
At CUW, there were 988 bachelors degree candidates in the class of 2012. By 2014, six years after beginning their degree, 57.2% of these students had graduated. After an additional two years, 58.7% of this class eventually completed their degree.
We consider the "on-time" graduation rate for a bachelor's degree to be four years, but colleges typically report their graduation rates after six or even eight years.
This implies that 41.3% did not graduate within eight years. Of these 409 students, 26 were still working towards their degree, 177 had transferred to a different institution, and CUW lost contact with the remaining 205 whom we assume dropped out.
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 (on-time). Some schools cater mostly to traditional students while others cater to “non-traditional” students who may be attending part time and thus are likely to take longer to graduate.
Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.
First-Time / Full-time Students at CUW Represent 40.7% of the Class of 2012 and 42.9% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a four year graduation rate of 34.0%, first-time students in the CUW class of 2012 who attended classes full-time had a graduation rate similar to the national average. After six years, the graduation rate was 61.2% and by 2016, 61.9% of this class had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 32.8% after four years, 47.6% after six years, and 49.2% after eight years.
CUW is Graduating Students Faster Than we Expected
Studies have shown that high-achieving students are more likely to complete their degree on time. Given the academic preparedness of the first-time / full-time students accepted to CUW, we expected that after six years about 53.8% of them would have completed their undergraduate degree.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Full-time Graduation Rates at CUW
38.1% of the First-Time / Full-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 153 students, 0 were still working towards their degree, 116 had transferred to a different institution, and CUW lost contact with the remaining 37 whom we assume dropped out.
First-Time / Part-time Students at CUW Represent 0.5% of the Class of 2012 and 0.0% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 0.0%, first-time students in the CUW class of 2012 who attended classes part-time were among the least likely in the nation to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 0.0%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 22.2% after six years and 24.5% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for First-Time / Part-time Graduation Rates at CUW
100.0% of the First-Time/ Part-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 5 students, 3 were still working towards their degree, 2 had transferred to a different institution, and CUW lost contact with the remaining 0 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Full-time Students at CUW Represent 15.5% of the Class of 2012 and 19.7% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 70.6%, returning students in the CUW class of 2012 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 74.5%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 55.0% after six years and 56.2% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Full-time Graduation Rates at CUW
25.5% of the Returning / Full-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 39 students, 5 were still working towards their degree, 19 had transferred to a different institution, and CUW lost contact with the remaining 15 whom we assume dropped out.
Returning / Part-time Students at CUW Represent 43.3% of the Class of 2012 and 37.4% of all Their Bachelor's Degree Graduations.
With a six year graduation rate of 49.3%, returning students in the CUW class of 2012 who attended classes part-time were more likely than average to graduate in a reasonable time. After eight years, the graduation rate was 50.7%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for returning undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.8% after six years and 38.6% after eight years.
Nationwide Rankings for Returning / Part-time Graduation Rates at CUW
49.3% of the Returning / Part-time Class of 2012 had not Completed Their Degree by 2016
Of these 211 students, 18 were still working towards their degree, 40 had transferred to a different institution, and CUW lost contact with the remaining 153 whom we assume dropped out.
