by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding JWU Online 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 52% students making it past their freshmen year, JWU Online 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 Rhode Island, the average is 78.84%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| JWU Online | 52% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Rhode Island | 78.84% |
There were approximately 92 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 22% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 27% of the students had graduated and after eight years 28% 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 JWU Online graduation rate 27%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 76 | 22% |
| Six Years | 92 | 27% |
| Eight Years | 5 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 246 | 72% |
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 246 students or 72% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 246 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
105 transferred to another institution.
JWU Online lost contact with the remaining 134 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 105 | 42.7% |
| Dropped Out | 134 | 54.5% |
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.
A meaningful share of students at JWU Online are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at Johnson & Wales University-Online represent 2.03% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the JWU Online graduation rate was 0%, and by the eight year mark, 0% 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 | JWU Online | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 0% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 0% | 47.82% |
7 first-time / full-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
4 transferred to another institution.
JWU Online lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 4 | 57.14% |
| Dropped Out | 3 | 42.86% |
First-time / part-time students at Johnson & Wales University-Online represent 12.21% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the JWU Online graduation rate was 5%, and by the eight year mark, 5% 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 | JWU Online | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 5% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 5% | 23.72% |
40 first-time / part-time students or 95% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
17 transferred to another institution.
JWU Online lost contact with the remaining 22 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 2.50% |
| Transferred | 17 | 42.50% |
| Dropped Out | 22 | 55.00% |
Returning / full-time students at Johnson & Wales University-Online represent 16.57% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the JWU Online graduation rate was 44%, and by the eight year mark, 44% 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 | JWU Online | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 44% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 44% | 55.07% |
32 non first-time / part-time students or 56% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
16 transferred to another institution.
JWU Online lost contact with the remaining 16 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 16 | 50.00% |
| Dropped Out | 16 | 50.00% |
Returning / part-time students at Johnson & Wales University-Online represent 69.19% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the JWU Online graduation rate was 27%, and by the eight year mark, 30% 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 | JWU Online | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 22% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 27% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 30% | 37.80% |
167 non first-time / part-time students or 70% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
6 are still enrolled.
68 transferred to another institution.
JWU Online lost contact with the remaining 93 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 6 | 3.59% |
| Transferred | 68 | 40.72% |
| Dropped Out | 93 | 55.69% |
