The Graduate Center Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

The Graduate Center, CUNY 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How many The Graduate Center first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore The Graduate Center retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.

• The Graduate Center 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
• The Graduate Center Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.

With % students making it past their freshmen year, The Graduate Center 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 New York, the average is 73.51%.

The Graduate Center Graduation Rates

Of the 203 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

100% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 40% in six years, and 43% in eight years.

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 Graduate Center graduation rate 40%.

The Graduate Center Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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The Graduate Center Drop Out Rate

Approximately 292 students or 57% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 292 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 120 transferred to another institution.

• The Graduate Center lost contact with the remaining 160 who we assumed dropped out.

The Graduate Center 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 The Graduate Center are considered 'non-traditional students' who either not first-time, or not full-time, or both.

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 The Graduate Center Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at The Graduate Center, CUNY represent 0% of the students in the class of 2015, and 0.49% of The Graduate Center bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 100%, first-time students in the The Graduate Center class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the The Graduate Center graduation rate was 100%, and by the eight year mark, 100% 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.

The Graduate Center First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at The Graduate Center, CUNY represent 6.85% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 20%, first-time, part-time students in the The Graduate Center class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 20%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.

First-Time / Part-Time The Graduate Center Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time The Graduate Center Drop Out Rates

28 first-time / part-time students or 80% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 15 transferred to another institution.

• The Graduate Center lost contact with the remaining 13 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

165 The Graduate Center students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 32.29% 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 49%, 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 53%.

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.

The Graduate Center Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time The Graduate Center Drop Out Rates

78 non first-time / part-time students or 47% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 3 are still enrolled.

• 37 transferred to another institution.

• The Graduate Center lost contact with the remaining 38 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

310 The Graduate Center students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 60.67% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 37%, 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 40%.

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.

The Graduate Center Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time The Graduate Center Drop Out Rates

186 non first-time / part-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 9 are still enrolled.

• 68 transferred to another institution.

• The Graduate Center lost contact with the remaining 109 who we assumed dropped out.

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 Alex Irklievski under License