by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding DSC 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 67% students making it past their freshmen year, DSC 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 Georgia, the average is 65.40%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| DSC | 67% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Georgia | 65.40% |
Of the 437 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
13% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 25% in six years, and 29% in 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 DSC graduation rate 25%.
The average DSC student takes 5.02 years to graduate with their bachelors.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 241 | 14% |
| Six Years | 437 | 25% |
| Eight Years | 58 | 4% |
| Did Not Complete | 1,236 | 71% |
Approximately 1236 students or 71% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1236 students who did not complete their degree?
5 are still enrolled.
572 transferred to another institution.
DSC lost contact with the remaining 626 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 0.4% |
| Transferred | 572 | 46.3% |
| Dropped Out | 626 | 50.6% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 44% |
| Black / African-American | 13% |
| Hispanic | 27% |
| International | 29% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 54% |
| Unknown | 27% |
| White | 30% |
Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.
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 DSC are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
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 Dalton State College represent 62% of the students in the class of 2015, and 68.42% of DSC bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 13%, first-time students in the DSC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the DSC graduation rate was 28%, and by the eight year mark, 32% 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 | DSC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 13% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 28% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 32% | 47.82% |
731 first-time / full-time students or 68% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
361 transferred to another institution.
DSC lost contact with the remaining 346 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 0.68% |
| Transferred | 361 | 49.38% |
| Dropped Out | 346 | 47.33% |
First-time / part-time students at Dalton State College represent 16.35% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 10%, first-time, part-time students in the DSC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 13%.
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 Completions | DSC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 5% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 10% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 13% | 23.72% |
247 first-time / part-time students or 87% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
80 transferred to another institution.
DSC lost contact with the remaining 159 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 3.24% |
| Transferred | 80 | 32.39% |
| Dropped Out | 159 | 64.37% |
229 DSC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 13.23% 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 34%, 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 35%.
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 | DSC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 34% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 35% | 55.07% |
148 non first-time / part-time students or 65% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
77 transferred to another institution.
DSC lost contact with the remaining 67 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 2.70% |
| Transferred | 77 | 52.03% |
| Dropped Out | 67 | 45.27% |
145 DSC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 8.38% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 23%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 24%.
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 | DSC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 23% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 24% | 37.80% |
110 non first-time / part-time students or 76% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
54 transferred to another institution.
DSC lost contact with the remaining 54 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 1.82% |
| Transferred | 54 | 49.09% |
| Dropped Out | 54 | 49.09% |
