by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Lord Fairfax Community College 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.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 69% students making it past their freshmen year, Lord Fairfax Community College has freshmen retention rates near the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Virginia, the average is 69.66%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Lord Fairfax Community College | 69% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Virginia | 69.66% |
There were approximately 543 students in the class of 2023. How many of them actually completed their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 28% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 31% of the students had graduated and after eight years 33% 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 Lord Fairfax Community College graduation rate 31%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 489 | 28% |
| Six Years | 543 | 31% |
| Eight Years | 28 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 1183 | 67% |
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 1183 students or 67% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1183 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
273 transferred to another institution.
Lord Fairfax Community College lost contact with the remaining 892 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 273 | 23.1% |
| Dropped Out | 892 | 75.4% |
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 Lord Fairfax Community College 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 Laurel Ridge Community College represent 36.09% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Lord Fairfax Community College graduation rate was 46%, and by the eight year mark, 48% 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 | Lord Fairfax Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 43% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 46% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 48% | 47.82% |
329 first-time / full-time students or 52% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
100 transferred to another institution.
Lord Fairfax Community College lost contact with the remaining 224 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 1.52% |
| Transferred | 100 | 30.40% |
| Dropped Out | 224 | 68.09% |
First-time / part-time students at Laurel Ridge Community College represent 36.83% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Lord Fairfax Community College graduation rate was 20%, and by the eight year mark, 22% 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 | Lord Fairfax Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 17% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 20% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 22% | 23.72% |
505 first-time / part-time students or 78% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
11 are still enrolled.
93 transferred to another institution.
Lord Fairfax Community College lost contact with the remaining 401 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 11 | 2.18% |
| Transferred | 93 | 18.42% |
| Dropped Out | 401 | 79.41% |
Returning / full-time students at Laurel Ridge Community College represent 6.96% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Lord Fairfax Community College graduation rate was 37%, and by the eight year mark, 39% 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 | Lord Fairfax Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 37% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 39% | 55.07% |
74 non first-time / part-time students or 61% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
2 are still enrolled.
23 transferred to another institution.
Lord Fairfax Community College lost contact with the remaining 49 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 2 | 2.70% |
| Transferred | 23 | 31.08% |
| Dropped Out | 49 | 66.22% |
Returning / part-time students at Laurel Ridge Community College represent 20.13% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Lord Fairfax Community College graduation rate was 21%, and by the eight year mark, 22% 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 | Lord Fairfax Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 18% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 21% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 22% | 37.80% |
275 non first-time / part-time students or 78% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
57 transferred to another institution.
Lord Fairfax Community College lost contact with the remaining 218 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 57 | 20.73% |
| Dropped Out | 218 | 79.27% |
