by our College Data Analytics TeamHow many NEC 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 NEC. First year retention shows who comes back, and graduation rates show who finishes 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 61% students making it past their freshmen year, NEC 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 New Hampshire, the average is 74.45%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| NEC | 61% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| New Hampshire | 74.45% |
How many of the estimated 255 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 25% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 30% of the students had graduated and after eight years 31% 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 NEC graduation rate 30%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 213 | 25% |
| Six Years | 255 | 30% |
| Eight Years | 5 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 588 | 69% |
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 588 students or 69% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 588 students who did not complete their degree?
1 are still enrolled.
324 transferred to another institution.
NEC lost contact with the remaining 262 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.2% |
| Transferred | 324 | 55.1% |
| Dropped Out | 262 | 44.6% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 40% |
| Asian | 20% |
| Black / African-American | 23% |
| Hispanic | 14% |
| International | 50% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 37% |
| Unknown | 35% |
| White | 37% |
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.
The majority of students at NEC 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 New England College represent 57.24% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the NEC graduation rate was 25%, and by the eight year mark, 25% 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 | NEC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 20% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 25% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 25% | 47.82% |
364 first-time / full-time students or 75% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
205 transferred to another institution.
NEC lost contact with the remaining 158 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.27% |
| Transferred | 205 | 56.32% |
| Dropped Out | 158 | 43.41% |
First-time / part-time students at New England College represent 0.94% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the NEC graduation rate was 0%, and by the eight year mark, 0% 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 | NEC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 0% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 0% | 23.72% |
8 first-time / part-time students or 100% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
4 transferred to another institution.
NEC lost contact with the remaining 4 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 4 | 50.00% |
| Dropped Out | 4 | 50.00% |
Returning / full-time students at New England College represent 40.99% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the NEC graduation rate was 38%, 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 | NEC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 38% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 39% | 55.07% |
213 non first-time / part-time students or 61% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
115 transferred to another institution.
NEC lost contact with the remaining 97 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.47% |
| Transferred | 115 | 53.99% |
| Dropped Out | 97 | 45.54% |
Returning / part-time students at New England College represent 0.82% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the NEC graduation rate was 43%, and by the eight year mark, 57% 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 | NEC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 14% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 43% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 57% | 37.80% |
3 non first-time / part-time students or 43% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
0 transferred to another institution.
NEC lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 0 | 0.00% |
| Dropped Out | 3 | 100.00% |
