by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding GaSou 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 78% students making it past their freshmen year, GaSou 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 Georgia, the average is 65.40%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| GaSou | 78% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Georgia | 65.40% |
There were approximately 3932 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 36% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 53% of the students had graduated and after eight years 55% 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 GaSou graduation rate 53%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 2663 | 36% |
| Six Years | 3932 | 53% |
| Eight Years | 114 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 3345 | 45% |
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 3345 students or 45% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 3345 students who did not complete their degree?
35 are still enrolled.
2169 transferred to another institution.
GaSou lost contact with the remaining 1102 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 35 | 1.0% |
| Transferred | 2169 | 64.8% |
| Dropped Out | 1102 | 32.9% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 24% |
| Asian | 59% |
| Black / African-American | 49% |
| Hawaiian | 38% |
| Hispanic | 45% |
| International | 64% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 50% |
| Unknown | 24% |
| White | 54% |
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 GaSou 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 Georgia Southern University represent 62.53% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the GaSou graduation rate was 52%, and by the eight year mark, 54% 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 | GaSou | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 30% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 52% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 54% | 47.82% |
2128 first-time / full-time students or 46% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
41 are still enrolled.
1431 transferred to another institution.
GaSou lost contact with the remaining 656 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 41 | 1.93% |
| Transferred | 1431 | 67.25% |
| Dropped Out | 656 | 30.83% |
First-time / part-time students at Georgia Southern University represent 2.46% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the GaSou graduation rate was 10%, and by the eight year mark, 14% 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 | GaSou | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 4% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 10% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 14% | 23.72% |
156 first-time / part-time students or 86% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
6 are still enrolled.
85 transferred to another institution.
GaSou lost contact with the remaining 65 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 6 | 3.85% |
| Transferred | 85 | 54.49% |
| Dropped Out | 65 | 41.67% |
Returning / full-time students at Georgia Southern University represent 27.97% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the GaSou 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 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Completions | GaSou | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 63% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 64% | 55.07% |
750 non first-time / part-time students or 36% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
17 are still enrolled.
466 transferred to another institution.
GaSou lost contact with the remaining 267 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 17 | 2.27% |
| Transferred | 466 | 62.13% |
| Dropped Out | 267 | 35.60% |
Returning / part-time students at Georgia Southern University represent 7.04% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the GaSou graduation rate was 39%, and by the eight year mark, 40% 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 | GaSou | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 31% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 39% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 40% | 37.80% |
311 non first-time / part-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
10 are still enrolled.
187 transferred to another institution.
GaSou lost contact with the remaining 114 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 10 | 3.22% |
| Transferred | 187 | 60.13% |
| Dropped Out | 114 | 36.66% |
