by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding FVTC 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 80% students making it past their freshmen year, FVTC 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 Wisconsin, the average is 74.47%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| FVTC | 80% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Wisconsin | 74.47% |
There were approximately 2307 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 63% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 65% 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 FVTC graduation rate 65%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 2226 | 63% |
| Six Years | 2307 | 65% |
| Eight Years | 36 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 1190 | 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 1190 students or 34% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1190 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
361 transferred to another institution.
FVTC lost contact with the remaining 793 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 361 | 30.3% |
| Dropped Out | 793 | 66.6% |
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.
A meaningful share of students at FVTC are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
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 students at Fox Valley Technical College represent 13.76% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the FVTC graduation rate was 71%, and by the eight year mark, 71% 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 | FVTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 69% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 71% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 71% | 47.82% |
140 first-time / full-time students or 29% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
33 transferred to another institution.
FVTC lost contact with the remaining 105 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 1.43% |
| Transferred | 33 | 23.57% |
| Dropped Out | 105 | 75.00% |
First-time / part-time students at Fox Valley Technical College represent 28.60% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the FVTC graduation rate was 51%, and by the eight year mark, 53% 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 | FVTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 48% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 51% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 53% | 23.72% |
479 first-time / part-time students or 47% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
14 are still enrolled.
132 transferred to another institution.
FVTC lost contact with the remaining 333 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 14 | 2.92% |
| Transferred | 132 | 27.56% |
| Dropped Out | 333 | 69.52% |
Returning / full-time students at Fox Valley Technical College represent 21.32% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the FVTC graduation rate was 85%, and by the eight year mark, 85% 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 | FVTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 85% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 85% | 55.07% |
110 non first-time / part-time students or 15% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
45 transferred to another institution.
FVTC lost contact with the remaining 61 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 3.64% |
| Transferred | 45 | 40.91% |
| Dropped Out | 61 | 55.45% |
Returning / part-time students at Fox Valley Technical College represent 36.32% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the FVTC graduation rate was 63%, and by the eight year mark, 64% 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 | FVTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 60% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 63% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 64% | 37.80% |
461 non first-time / part-time students or 36% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
16 are still enrolled.
151 transferred to another institution.
FVTC lost contact with the remaining 294 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 16 | 3.47% |
| Transferred | 151 | 32.75% |
| Dropped Out | 294 | 63.77% |
