by our College Data Analytics TeamAre students coming back to Highland Community College after their first year? Are Highland Community College students graduating in a timely manner? What happens to the students who don't graduate? Get all your questions answered here.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 68% students making it past their freshmen year, Highland Community College has freshmen retention rates similar to the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Illinois, the average is 72.64%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Highland Community College | 68% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Illinois | 72.64% |
Of the 194 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
31% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 24% in six years, and 26% in eight years.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official Highland Community College graduation rate 24%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 175 | 22% |
| Six Years | 194 | 24% |
| Eight Years | 11 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 593 | 74% |
Approximately 593 students or 74% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 593 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
164 transferred to another institution.
Highland Community College lost contact with the remaining 420 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 164 | 27.7% |
| Dropped Out | 420 | 70.8% |
Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.
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 Highland Community College are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.
First-time / full-time students at Highland Community College represent 50% of the students in the class of 2015, and 69.07% of Highland Community College bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 31%, first-time students in the Highland Community College class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Highland Community College graduation rate was 34%, and by the eight year mark, 35% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | Highland Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 31% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 34% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 35% | 47.82% |
261 first-time / full-time students or 65% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
78 transferred to another institution.
Highland Community College lost contact with the remaining 176 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 78 | 29.89% |
| Dropped Out | 176 | 67.43% |
First-time / part-time students at Highland Community College represent 34.21% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 10%, first-time, part-time students in the Highland Community College class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 11%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.
| First-Time / Part-Time Completions | Highland Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 7% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 10% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 11% | 23.72% |
242 first-time / part-time students or 89% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
39 transferred to another institution.
Highland Community College lost contact with the remaining 202 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.41% |
| Transferred | 39 | 16.12% |
| Dropped Out | 202 | 83.47% |
66 Highland Community College students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 8.27% of the students in the class of 2015.
Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.
With a six year graduation rate of 33%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 36%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Returning / Full-Time Completions | Highland Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 33% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 36% | 55.07% |
42 non first-time / part-time students or 64% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
20 transferred to another institution.
Highland Community College lost contact with the remaining 21 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 2.38% |
| Transferred | 20 | 47.62% |
| Dropped Out | 21 | 50.00% |
59 Highland Community College students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 7.39% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 17%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 19%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | Highland Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 17% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 19% | 37.80% |
48 non first-time / part-time students or 81% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
27 transferred to another institution.
Highland Community College lost contact with the remaining 21 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 27 | 56.25% |
| Dropped Out | 21 | 43.75% |
