by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many LTC first-year students return for their second year, and how many go on to graduate? Retention and graduation rates help you understand how students progress at LTC. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes 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 67% students making it past their freshmen year, LTC 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 Wisconsin, the average is 74.47%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| LTC | 67% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Wisconsin | 74.47% |
Of the 488 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 54% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 58% of the students had graduated and after eight years 59% 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 LTC graduation rate 58%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 452 | 54% |
| Six Years | 488 | 58% |
| Eight Years | 9 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 341 | 41% |
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 341 students or 41% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 341 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
72 transferred to another institution.
LTC lost contact with the remaining 258 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 72 | 21.1% |
| Dropped Out | 258 | 75.7% |
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 LTC are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Looking at the individual cohorts below may tell you more than the overall graduation rate alone.
First-time / full-time students at Lakeshore Technical College represent 28.27% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the LTC graduation rate was 65%, and by the eight year mark, 65% 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 | LTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 62% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 65% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 65% | 47.82% |
83 first-time / full-time students or 35% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
12 transferred to another institution.
LTC lost contact with the remaining 69 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 2.41% |
| Transferred | 12 | 14.46% |
| Dropped Out | 69 | 83.13% |
First-time / part-time students at Lakeshore Technical College represent 34.56% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the LTC graduation rate was 51%, and by the eight year mark, 53% 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 | LTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 47% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 51% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 53% | 23.72% |
135 first-time / part-time students or 47% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
25 transferred to another institution.
LTC lost contact with the remaining 106 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 2.96% |
| Transferred | 25 | 18.52% |
| Dropped Out | 106 | 78.52% |
Returning / full-time students at Lakeshore Technical College represent 14.37% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the LTC graduation rate was 69%, and by the eight year mark, 69% 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 | LTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 69% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 69% | 55.07% |
37 non first-time / part-time students or 31% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
12 transferred to another institution.
LTC lost contact with the remaining 23 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 5.41% |
| Transferred | 12 | 32.43% |
| Dropped Out | 23 | 62.16% |
Returning / part-time students at Lakeshore Technical College represent 22.80% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the LTC graduation rate was 54%, and by the eight year mark, 55% 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 | LTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 47% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 54% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 55% | 37.80% |
86 non first-time / part-time students or 45% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
23 transferred to another institution.
LTC lost contact with the remaining 60 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 3.49% |
| Transferred | 23 | 26.74% |
| Dropped Out | 60 | 69.77% |
