by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding LMC 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 84% students making it past their freshmen year, LMC 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 Michigan, the average is 70.80%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| LMC | 84% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Michigan | 70.80% |
Of the 240 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 18% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 21% of the students had graduated and after eight years 22% 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 LMC graduation rate 21%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 205 | 18% |
| Six Years | 240 | 21% |
| Eight Years | 13 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 877 | 78% |
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 877 students or 78% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 877 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
330 transferred to another institution.
LMC lost contact with the remaining 528 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 330 | 37.6% |
| Dropped Out | 528 | 60.2% |
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 LMC are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
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 Lake Michigan College represent 41.33% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the LMC graduation rate was 28%, and by the eight year mark, 29% 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 | LMC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 25% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 28% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 29% | 47.82% |
331 first-time / full-time students or 71% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
143 transferred to another institution.
LMC lost contact with the remaining 180 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 2.42% |
| Transferred | 143 | 43.20% |
| Dropped Out | 180 | 54.38% |
First-time / part-time students at Lake Michigan College represent 26.90% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the LMC graduation rate was 14%, and by the eight year mark, 15% 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 | LMC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 10% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 14% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 15% | 23.72% |
258 first-time / part-time students or 85% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
70 transferred to another institution.
LMC lost contact with the remaining 183 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 1.94% |
| Transferred | 70 | 27.13% |
| Dropped Out | 183 | 70.93% |
Returning / full-time students at Lake Michigan College represent 12.48% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the LMC graduation rate was 27%, and by the eight year mark, 27% 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 | LMC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 27% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 27% | 55.07% |
103 non first-time / part-time students or 73% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
48 transferred to another institution.
LMC lost contact with the remaining 54 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.97% |
| Transferred | 48 | 46.60% |
| Dropped Out | 54 | 52.43% |
Returning / part-time students at Lake Michigan College represent 19.29% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the LMC graduation rate was 13%, and by the eight year mark, 15% 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 | LMC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 12% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 13% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 15% | 37.80% |
185 non first-time / part-time students or 85% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
69 transferred to another institution.
LMC lost contact with the remaining 111 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 2.70% |
| Transferred | 69 | 37.30% |
| Dropped Out | 111 | 60.00% |
