by our College Data Analytics TeamAre students coming back to Highline after their first year? Are Highline 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
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Washington, the average is 73.95%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Highline | |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Washington | 73.95% |
Of the 3,430 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?
30% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 37% in six years, and 37% 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 Highline graduation rate 37%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 3,230 | 34% |
| Six Years | 3,430 | 37% |
| Eight Years | 73 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 5,877 | 63% |
Approximately 5877 students or 63% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 5877 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
2921 transferred to another institution.
Highline lost contact with the remaining 2833 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 2921 | 49.7% |
| Dropped Out | 2,833 | 48.2% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 56% |
| Black / African-American | 22% |
| Hispanic | 29% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 39% |
| Unknown | 42% |
| White | 41% |
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 Highline 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 Highline College represent 16% of the students in the class of 2015, and 14.20% of Highline bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 30%, first-time students in the Highline class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Highline graduation rate was 32%, and by the eight year mark, 33% 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 | Highline | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 30% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 32% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 33% | 47.82% |
1017 first-time / full-time students or 67% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
551 transferred to another institution.
Highline lost contact with the remaining 446 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 551 | 54.18% |
| Dropped Out | 446 | 43.85% |
First-time / part-time students at Highline College represent 15.94% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six-year graduation rate of 17%, first-time, part-time students in the Highline class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 18%.
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 | Highline | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 15% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 17% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 18% | 23.72% |
1225 first-time / part-time students or 82% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
24 are still enrolled.
628 transferred to another institution.
Highline lost contact with the remaining 573 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 24 | 1.96% |
| Transferred | 628 | 51.27% |
| Dropped Out | 573 | 46.78% |
2292 Highline students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 24.43% 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 50%, 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 51%.
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 | Highline | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 50% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 51% | 55.07% |
1132 non first-time / part-time students or 49% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
20 are still enrolled.
520 transferred to another institution.
Highline lost contact with the remaining 592 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 20 | 1.77% |
| Transferred | 520 | 45.94% |
| Dropped Out | 592 | 52.30% |
4077 Highline students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 43.46% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 38%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 39%.
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 | Highline | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 38% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 39% | 37.80% |
2503 non first-time / part-time students or 61% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
59 are still enrolled.
1222 transferred to another institution.
Highline lost contact with the remaining 1222 who we assumed dropped out.
| Returning / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 59 | 2.36% |
| Transferred | 1222 | 48.82% |
| Dropped Out | 1,222 | 48.82% |
