by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding MTC 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 49% students making it past their freshmen year, MTC 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 South Carolina, the average is 65.91%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| MTC | 49% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| South Carolina | 65.91% |
Of the 916 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 19% 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 MTC graduation rate 21%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 817 | 19% |
| Six Years | 916 | 21% |
| Eight Years | 62 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 3438 | 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 3438 students or 78% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 3438 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
1719 transferred to another institution.
MTC lost contact with the remaining 1658 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 1719 | 50.0% |
| Dropped Out | 1658 | 48.2% |
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 MTC 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 Midlands Technical College represent 40.33% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the MTC 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 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| Completions | MTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 18% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 21% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 22% | 47.82% |
1382 first-time / full-time students or 78% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
23 are still enrolled.
745 transferred to another institution.
MTC lost contact with the remaining 614 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 23 | 1.66% |
| Transferred | 745 | 53.91% |
| Dropped Out | 614 | 44.43% |
First-time / part-time students at Midlands Technical College represent 22.23% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the MTC graduation rate was 11%, and by the eight year mark, 12% 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 | MTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 8% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 11% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 12% | 23.72% |
862 first-time / part-time students or 88% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
20 are still enrolled.
259 transferred to another institution.
MTC lost contact with the remaining 583 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 20 | 2.32% |
| Transferred | 259 | 30.05% |
| Dropped Out | 583 | 67.63% |
Returning / full-time students at Midlands Technical College represent 18.01% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the MTC graduation rate was 27%, and by the eight year mark, 29% 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 | MTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 27% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 29% | 55.07% |
563 non first-time / part-time students or 71% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
368 transferred to another institution.
MTC lost contact with the remaining 186 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 1.60% |
| Transferred | 368 | 65.36% |
| Dropped Out | 186 | 33.04% |
Returning / part-time students at Midlands Technical College represent 19.43% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the MTC graduation rate was 26%, and by the eight year mark, 26% 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 | MTC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 23% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 26% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 26% | 37.80% |
631 non first-time / part-time students or 74% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
347 transferred to another institution.
MTC lost contact with the remaining 275 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 1.43% |
| Transferred | 347 | 54.99% |
| Dropped Out | 275 | 43.58% |
