by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many Hampshire first-year students return for their second year, and how many go on to graduate? Retention and graduation rates help you understand how students progress at Hampshire. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes 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, Hampshire 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 Massachusetts, the average is 73.02%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Hampshire | 78% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Massachusetts | 73.02% |
How many of the estimated 251 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 55% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 63% of the students had graduated and after eight years 63% 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 Hampshire graduation rate 63%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 220 | 55% |
| Six Years | 251 | 63% |
| Eight Years | 0 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 150 | 37% |
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 150 students or 37% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 150 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
103 transferred to another institution.
Hampshire lost contact with the remaining 47 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 103 | 68.7% |
| Dropped Out | 47 | 31.3% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 60% |
| Black / African-American | 59% |
| Hispanic | 58% |
| International | 75% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 59% |
| Unknown | 40% |
| White | 57% |
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.
The majority of students at Hampshire are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at Hampshire College represent 81.30% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Hampshire graduation rate was 60%, and by the eight year mark, 60% 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 | Hampshire | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 51% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 60% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 60% | 47.82% |
129 first-time / full-time students or 40% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
91 transferred to another institution.
Hampshire lost contact with the remaining 38 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 91 | 70.54% |
| Dropped Out | 38 | 29.46% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data for this cohort at Hampshire College.
Returning / full-time students at Hampshire College represent 18.70% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Hampshire graduation rate was 72%, and by the eight year mark, 72% 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 | Hampshire | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 72% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 72% | 55.07% |
21 non first-time / part-time students or 28% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
12 transferred to another institution.
Hampshire lost contact with the remaining 9 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 12 | 57.14% |
| Dropped Out | 9 | 42.86% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data for this cohort at Hampshire College.
