by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding ECU 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.
The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 83% students making it past their freshmen year, ECU 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 North Carolina, the average is 66.53%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| ECU | 83% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| North Carolina | 66.53% |
How many of the estimated 4392 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 49% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 64% of the students had graduated and after eight years 66% 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 ECU graduation rate 64%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 3362 | 49% |
| Six Years | 4392 | 64% |
| Eight Years | 92 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 2347 | 34% |
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 2347 students or 34% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2347 students who did not complete their degree?
26 are still enrolled.
1679 transferred to another institution.
ECU lost contact with the remaining 622 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 26 | 1.1% |
| Transferred | 1679 | 71.5% |
| Dropped Out | 622 | 26.5% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 46% |
| Asian | 52% |
| Black / African-American | 58% |
| Hawaiian | 71% |
| Hispanic | 59% |
| International | 53% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 56% |
| Unknown | 55% |
| White | 65% |
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 ECU 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 East Carolina University represent 63.04% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the ECU graduation rate was 65%, and by the eight year mark, 66% 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 | ECU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 45% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 65% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 66% | 47.82% |
1448 first-time / full-time students or 34% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
26 are still enrolled.
1117 transferred to another institution.
ECU lost contact with the remaining 305 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 26 | 1.80% |
| Transferred | 1117 | 77.14% |
| Dropped Out | 305 | 21.06% |
First-time / part-time students at East Carolina University represent 0.74% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the ECU graduation rate was 47%, and by the eight year mark, 49% 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 | ECU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 39% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 47% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 49% | 23.72% |
26 first-time / part-time students or 51% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
23 transferred to another institution.
ECU lost contact with the remaining 2 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 3.85% |
| Transferred | 23 | 88.46% |
| Dropped Out | 2 | 7.69% |
Returning / full-time students at East Carolina University represent 25.70% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the ECU graduation rate was 69%, and by the eight year mark, 70% 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 | ECU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 69% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 70% | 55.07% |
525 non first-time / part-time students or 30% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
345 transferred to another institution.
ECU lost contact with the remaining 172 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 1.52% |
| Transferred | 345 | 65.71% |
| Dropped Out | 172 | 32.76% |
Returning / part-time students at East Carolina University represent 10.52% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the ECU graduation rate was 49%, and by the eight year mark, 51% 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 | ECU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 40% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 49% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 51% | 37.80% |
348 non first-time / part-time students or 49% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
11 are still enrolled.
194 transferred to another institution.
ECU lost contact with the remaining 143 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 11 | 3.16% |
| Transferred | 194 | 55.75% |
| Dropped Out | 143 | 41.09% |
