by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding MassBay 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 56% students making it past their freshmen year, MassBay Community College 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 Massachusetts, the average is 73.02%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| MassBay Community College | 56% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Massachusetts | 73.02% |
There were approximately 475 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, 25% of the students had graduated and after eight years 27% 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 MassBay Community College graduation rate 25%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 408 | 22% |
| Six Years | 475 | 25% |
| Eight Years | 20 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 1372 | 73% |
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 1372 students or 73% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1372 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
566 transferred to another institution.
MassBay Community College lost contact with the remaining 769 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 566 | 41.3% |
| Dropped Out | 769 | 56.0% |
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years. Some schools cater to mostly traditional students while others cater to 'non-traditional' students. So called 'non-traditional' students include part-time students or those who may be returning after an absense. It is common for part-time and/or adult students to take longer to graduate.
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 MassBay Community College 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 Massachusetts Bay Community College represent 34.19% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the MassBay Community College graduation rate was 26%, and by the eight year mark, 27% 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 | MassBay Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 23% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 26% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 27% | 47.82% |
464 first-time / full-time students or 73% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
12 are still enrolled.
193 transferred to another institution.
MassBay Community College lost contact with the remaining 259 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 12 | 2.59% |
| Transferred | 193 | 41.59% |
| Dropped Out | 259 | 55.82% |
First-time / part-time students at Massachusetts Bay Community College represent 38.26% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the MassBay Community College graduation rate was 16%, and by the eight year mark, 17% 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 | MassBay Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 12% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 16% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 17% | 23.72% |
591 first-time / part-time students or 83% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
19 are still enrolled.
208 transferred to another institution.
MassBay Community College lost contact with the remaining 364 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 19 | 3.21% |
| Transferred | 208 | 35.19% |
| Dropped Out | 364 | 61.59% |
Returning / full-time students at Massachusetts Bay Community College represent 10.11% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the MassBay Community College 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 | MassBay Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 44% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 44% | 55.07% |
105 non first-time / part-time students or 56% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
62 transferred to another institution.
MassBay Community College lost contact with the remaining 40 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 2.86% |
| Transferred | 62 | 59.05% |
| Dropped Out | 40 | 38.10% |
Returning / part-time students at Massachusetts Bay Community College represent 17.44% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the MassBay Community College graduation rate was 34%, and by the eight year mark, 35% 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 | MassBay Community College | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 30% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 34% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 35% | 37.80% |
212 non first-time / part-time students or 65% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
103 transferred to another institution.
MassBay Community College lost contact with the remaining 106 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 1.42% |
| Transferred | 103 | 48.58% |
| Dropped Out | 106 | 50.00% |
