by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many Messiah first-year students return for their second year? How many graduate and how long does it take them? On this page we'll explore Messiah retention rates, graduation rates, drop out rates and more.
The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.
With 86% students making it past their freshmen year, Messiah 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 Pennsylvania, the average is 73.24%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Messiah | 86% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Pennsylvania | 73.24% |
How many of the estimated 642 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
After four years 76% of the cohort graduated. After six years 79% had completed their degree, and 79% after eight years.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official Messiah graduation rate 79%.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at Messiah? The standard length of time for most students is 4.06 years.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 608 | 75% |
| Six Years | 642 | 79% |
| Eight Years | 1 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 173 | 21% |
Approximately 173 students or 21% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 173 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
141 transferred to another institution.
Messiah lost contact with the remaining 32 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 141 | 81.5% |
| Dropped Out | 32 | 18.5% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 75% |
| Black / African-American | 50% |
| Hispanic | 71% |
| International | 83% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 74% |
| Unknown | 40% |
| White | 80% |
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.
The majority of students at Messiah 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 Messiah University represent 85% of the students in the class of 2015, and 86.92% of Messiah bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 76%, first-time students in the Messiah class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the Messiah graduation rate was 80%, and by the eight year mark, 80% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| First-Time / Full-Time Completions | Messiah | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 76% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 80% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 80% | 47.82% |
137 first-time / full-time students or 20% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
114 transferred to another institution.
Messiah lost contact with the remaining 23 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 114 | 83.21% |
| Dropped Out | 23 | 16.79% |
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on Messiah first-time, part-time students.
119 Messiah students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 14.57% of the students in the class of 2015.
Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.
With a six year graduation rate of 70%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 70%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Returning / Full-Time Completions | Messiah | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 70% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 70% | 55.07% |
36 non first-time / part-time students or 30% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
27 transferred to another institution.
Messiah lost contact with the remaining 9 who we assumed dropped out.
| First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 27 | 75.00% |
| Dropped Out | 9 | 25.00% |
1 Messiah students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.12% of the students in the class of 2015.
With a six year graduation rate of 100%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 100%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.
| Returning / Part-Time Completions | Messiah | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 100% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 100% | 37.80% |
