by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding RCSJ 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 62% students making it past their freshmen year, RCSJ 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 New Jersey, the average is 74.83%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| RCSJ | 62% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| New Jersey | 74.83% |
There were approximately 1013 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 27% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 30% of the students had graduated and after eight years 31% 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 RCSJ graduation rate 30%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 908 | 27% |
| Six Years | 1013 | 30% |
| Eight Years | 35 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 2285 | 69% |
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 2285 students or 69% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2285 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
1182 transferred to another institution.
RCSJ lost contact with the remaining 1065 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 1182 | 51.7% |
| Dropped Out | 1065 | 46.6% |
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.
The majority of students at RCSJ 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 Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus represent 54.24% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the RCSJ graduation rate was 38%, and by the eight year mark, 40% 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 | RCSJ | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 35% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 38% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 40% | 47.82% |
1090 first-time / full-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
19 are still enrolled.
504 transferred to another institution.
RCSJ lost contact with the remaining 567 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 19 | 1.74% |
| Transferred | 504 | 46.24% |
| Dropped Out | 567 | 52.02% |
First-time / part-time students at Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus represent 11.72% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the RCSJ graduation rate was 21%, and by the eight year mark, 23% 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 | RCSJ | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 16% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 21% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 23% | 23.72% |
301 first-time / part-time students or 77% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
11 are still enrolled.
86 transferred to another institution.
RCSJ lost contact with the remaining 204 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 11 | 3.65% |
| Transferred | 86 | 28.57% |
| Dropped Out | 204 | 67.77% |
Returning / full-time students at Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus represent 12.74% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the RCSJ graduation rate was 31%, and by the eight year mark, 32% 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 | RCSJ | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 31% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 32% | 55.07% |
290 non first-time / part-time students or 68% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
161 transferred to another institution.
RCSJ lost contact with the remaining 125 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 1.38% |
| Transferred | 161 | 55.52% |
| Dropped Out | 125 | 43.10% |
Returning / part-time students at Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus represent 21.31% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the RCSJ graduation rate was 14%, and by the eight year mark, 15% 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 | RCSJ | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 12% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 14% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 15% | 37.80% |
604 non first-time / part-time students or 85% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
431 transferred to another institution.
RCSJ lost contact with the remaining 169 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 0.66% |
| Transferred | 431 | 71.36% |
| Dropped Out | 169 | 27.98% |
