NRCC Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

New River Community College 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How long does it take to earn a degree at NRCC? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.

• NRCC Retention Rate
• NRCC Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• NRCC Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

NRCC Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate applies to first-time / full-time students who come back for their second year.

With 63% students making it past their freshmen year, NRCC has freshmen retention rates similar to 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%.

NRCC Graduation Rates

Of the 326 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

Four years after beginning their degree, 25% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 21% of the students had graduated and after eight years 23% of this class completed their degree.

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 NRCC graduation rate 21%.

NRCC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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NRCC Drop Out Rate

Approximately 1173 students or 77% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 1173 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 257 transferred to another institution.

• NRCC lost contact with the remaining 898 who we assumed dropped out.

NRCC Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

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 NRCC 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 NRCC Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at New River Community College represent 34% of the students in the class of 2015, and 42.64% of NRCC bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 25%, first-time students in the NRCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the NRCC graduation rate was 27%, and by the eight year mark, 29% 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.

NRCC First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time NRCC Drop Out Rates

361 first-time / full-time students or 71% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 95 transferred to another institution.

• NRCC lost contact with the remaining 255 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at New River Community College represent 17.19% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 20%, first-time, part-time students in the NRCC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 21%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, 23.72% after eight years.

First-Time / Part-Time NRCC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time NRCC Drop Out Rates

205 first-time / part-time students or 79% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 3 are still enrolled.

• 35 transferred to another institution.

• NRCC lost contact with the remaining 167 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

353 NRCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 23.25% 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 25%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 26%.

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.

NRCC Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time NRCC Drop Out Rates

261 non first-time / part-time students or 74% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 2 are still enrolled.

• 57 transferred to another institution.

• NRCC lost contact with the remaining 202 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

395 NRCC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 26.02% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 11%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 12%.

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.

NRCC Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Part-Time NRCC Drop Out Rates

346 non first-time / part-time students or 88% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 2 are still enrolled.

• 70 transferred to another institution.

• NRCC lost contact with the remaining 274 who we assumed dropped out.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics