by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Friends University 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 65% students making it past their freshmen year, Friends University has freshmen retention rates below the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Kansas, the average is 65.77%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Friends University | 65% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Kansas | 65.77% |
Of the 218 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 44% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 52% of the students had graduated and after eight years 53% 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 Friends University graduation rate 52%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 184 | 44% |
| Six Years | 218 | 52% |
| Eight Years | 5 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 197 | 47% |
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 197 students or 47% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 197 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
106 transferred to another institution.
Friends University lost contact with the remaining 90 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 106 | 53.8% |
| Dropped Out | 90 | 45.7% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 33% |
| Black / African-American | 33% |
| Hispanic | 50% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 67% |
| Unknown | 63% |
| White | 66% |
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 Friends University are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Looking at the individual cohorts below may tell you more than the overall graduation rate alone.
First-time / full-time students at Friends University represent 40.95% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Friends University graduation rate was 47%, and by the eight year mark, 48% 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 | Friends University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 37% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 47% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 48% | 47.82% |
90 first-time / full-time students or 52% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
57 transferred to another institution.
Friends University lost contact with the remaining 32 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.11% |
| Transferred | 57 | 63.33% |
| Dropped Out | 32 | 35.56% |
First-time / part-time students at Friends University represent 0.95% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Friends University graduation rate was 25%, and by the eight year mark, 25% 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 | Friends University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 25% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 25% | 23.72% |
3 first-time / part-time students or 75% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
0 transferred to another institution.
Friends University lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dropped Out | 3 | 100.00% |
Returning / full-time students at Friends University represent 45.00% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Friends University graduation rate was 59%, and by the eight year mark, 61% 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 | Friends University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 59% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 61% | 55.07% |
74 non first-time / part-time students or 39% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
37 transferred to another institution.
Friends University lost contact with the remaining 37 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 37 | 50.00% |
| Dropped Out | 37 | 50.00% |
Returning / part-time students at Friends University represent 13.10% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Friends University graduation rate was 45%, and by the eight year mark, 45% 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 | Friends University | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 38% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 45% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 45% | 37.80% |
30 non first-time / part-time students or 55% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
12 transferred to another institution.
Friends University lost contact with the remaining 18 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 12 | 40.00% |
| Dropped Out | 18 | 60.00% |
