by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Kent State 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 81% students making it past their freshmen year, Kent State 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 Ohio, the average is 69.84%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Kent State | 81% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Ohio | 69.84% |
Of the 3786 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 48% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 62% of the students had graduated and after eight years 64% 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 Kent State graduation rate 62%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 2961 | 48% |
| Six Years | 3786 | 62% |
| Eight Years | 120 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 2200 | 36% |
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 2200 students or 36% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2200 students who did not complete their degree?
21 are still enrolled.
1216 transferred to another institution.
Kent State lost contact with the remaining 948 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 21 | 1.0% |
| Transferred | 1216 | 55.3% |
| Dropped Out | 948 | 43.1% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 33% |
| Asian | 69% |
| Black / African-American | 58% |
| Hawaiian | 100% |
| Hispanic | 61% |
| International | 68% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 57% |
| Unknown | 70% |
| White | 67% |
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 Kent State are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Examining the graduation rates of the specific cohorts shown below may be more revealing than looking at the overall graduaton rates.
First-time / full-time students at Kent State University at Kent represent 70.64% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Kent State graduation rate was 65%, and by the eight year mark, 66% 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 | Kent State | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 48% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 65% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 66% | 47.82% |
1460 first-time / full-time students or 34% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
23 are still enrolled.
872 transferred to another institution.
Kent State lost contact with the remaining 565 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 23 | 1.58% |
| Transferred | 872 | 59.73% |
| Dropped Out | 565 | 38.70% |
First-time / part-time students at Kent State University at Kent represent 2.89% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Kent State graduation rate was 40%, and by the eight year mark, 45% 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 | Kent State | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 31% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 40% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 45% | 23.72% |
98 first-time / part-time students or 55% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
37 transferred to another institution.
Kent State lost contact with the remaining 60 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.02% |
| Transferred | 37 | 37.76% |
| Dropped Out | 60 | 61.22% |
Returning / full-time students at Kent State University at Kent represent 18.62% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Kent State graduation rate was 65%, and by the eight year mark, 67% 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 | Kent State | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 65% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 67% | 55.07% |
377 non first-time / part-time students or 33% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
206 transferred to another institution.
Kent State lost contact with the remaining 166 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 1.33% |
| Transferred | 206 | 54.64% |
| Dropped Out | 166 | 44.03% |
Returning / part-time students at Kent State University at Kent represent 7.85% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Kent State graduation rate was 37%, and by the eight year mark, 45% 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 | Kent State | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 37% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 37% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 45% | 37.80% |
265 non first-time / part-time students or 55% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
7 are still enrolled.
101 transferred to another institution.
Kent State lost contact with the remaining 157 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 7 | 2.64% |
| Transferred | 101 | 38.11% |
| Dropped Out | 157 | 59.25% |
