by our College Data Analytics TeamHow long does it take to earn a degree at Dordt? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 84% students making it past their freshmen year, Dordt has freshmen retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Iowa, the average is 68.94%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Dordt | 84% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Iowa | 68.94% |
Of the 295 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
59% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 67% in six years, and 67% 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 Dordt graduation rate 67%.
The typical Dordt student takes 4.06 years to complete their bachelor's degree.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 264 | 60% |
| Six Years | 295 | 67% |
| Eight Years | 0 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 144 | 33% |
Approximately 144 students or 33% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 144 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
30 transferred to another institution.
Dordt lost contact with the remaining 114 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 30 | 20.8% |
| Dropped Out | 114 | 79.2% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 67% |
| Black / African-American | 50% |
| Hispanic | 38% |
| International | 71% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 100% |
| Unknown | 50% |
| White | 67% |
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 Dordt 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 Dordt University represent 86% of the students in the class of 2015, and 84.41% of Dordt bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 59%, first-time students in the Dordt class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Dordt graduation rate was 66%, and by the eight year mark, 66% 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 | Dordt | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 59% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 66% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 66% | 47.82% |
127 first-time / full-time students or 34% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
28 transferred to another institution.
Dordt lost contact with the remaining 99 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 28 | 22.05% |
| Dropped Out | 99 | 77.95% |
First-time / part-time students at Dordt University represent 0.45% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 100%, first-time, part-time students in the Dordt class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 100%.
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 | Dordt | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 100% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 100% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 100% | 23.72% |
59 Dordt students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 13.41% 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 71%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 71%.
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 | Dordt | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 71% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 71% | 55.07% |
17 non first-time / part-time students or 29% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
2 transferred to another institution.
Dordt lost contact with the remaining 15 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 2 | 11.76% |
| Dropped Out | 15 | 88.24% |
2 Dordt students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.45% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 100%, 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 100%.
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 | Dordt | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 100% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 100% | 37.80% |
