by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding GHC 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 59% students making it past their freshmen year, GHC 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 Georgia, the average is 65.40%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| GHC | 59% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Georgia | 65.40% |
There were approximately 662 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 21% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 25% of the students had graduated and after eight years 27% 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 GHC graduation rate 25%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 551 | 21% |
| Six Years | 662 | 25% |
| Eight Years | 49 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 1931 | 73% |
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 1931 students or 73% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1931 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
1000 transferred to another institution.
GHC lost contact with the remaining 887 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 1000 | 51.8% |
| Dropped Out | 887 | 45.9% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 10% |
| Black / African-American | 18% |
| Hawaiian | 33% |
| Hispanic | 23% |
| International | 8% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 13% |
| White | 22% |
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.
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 GHC 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 Georgia Highlands College represent 45.12% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the GHC graduation rate was 27%, and by the eight year mark, 29% 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 | GHC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 22% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 27% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 29% | 47.82% |
851 first-time / full-time students or 71% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
23 are still enrolled.
465 transferred to another institution.
GHC lost contact with the remaining 363 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 23 | 2.70% |
| Transferred | 465 | 54.64% |
| Dropped Out | 363 | 42.66% |
First-time / part-time students at Georgia Highlands College represent 23.66% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the GHC graduation rate was 20%, and by the eight year mark, 22% 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 | GHC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 15% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 20% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 22% | 23.72% |
489 first-time / part-time students or 78% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
11 are still enrolled.
205 transferred to another institution.
GHC lost contact with the remaining 273 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 11 | 2.25% |
| Transferred | 205 | 41.92% |
| Dropped Out | 273 | 55.83% |
Returning / full-time students at Georgia Highlands College represent 13.89% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the GHC graduation rate was 29%, and by the eight year mark, 30% 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 | GHC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 29% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 30% | 55.07% |
256 non first-time / part-time students or 70% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
161 transferred to another institution.
GHC lost contact with the remaining 91 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 1.56% |
| Transferred | 161 | 62.89% |
| Dropped Out | 91 | 35.55% |
Returning / part-time students at Georgia Highlands College represent 17.34% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the GHC graduation rate was 25%, and by the eight year mark, 27% 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 | GHC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 21% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 25% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 27% | 37.80% |
335 non first-time / part-time students or 73% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
6 are still enrolled.
169 transferred to another institution.
GHC lost contact with the remaining 160 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 6 | 1.79% |
| Transferred | 169 | 50.45% |
| Dropped Out | 160 | 47.76% |
