NC Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

Northwestern College - Bridgeview 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How long does it take to earn a degree at NC? 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.

• NC 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
• NC Drop Out Rate
• Methodology & References

Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.

With % students making it past their freshmen year, NC 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 Illinois, the average is 72.64%.

NC Graduation Rates

How many of the estimated 146 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?

14% of the cohort completed their degree in four years, 24% in six years, and 24% in 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 NC graduation rate 24%.

NC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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NC Drop Out Rate

Approximately 474 students or 76% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 474 students who did not complete their degree?

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 19 transferred to another institution.

• NC lost contact with the remaining 454 who we assumed dropped out.

NC Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.

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 NC are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.

First-Time / Full-Time NC Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Northwestern College - Bridgeview represent 22% of the students in the class of 2015, and 14.38% of NC bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 14%, first-time students in the NC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the NC graduation rate was 15%, and by the eight year mark, 16% 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.

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

First-Time / Full-Time NC Drop Out Rates

117 first-time / full-time students or 84% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 10 transferred to another institution.

• NC lost contact with the remaining 107 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

First-time / part-time students at Northwestern College - Bridgeview represent 37.36% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six-year graduation rate of 14%, first-time, part-time students in the NC class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 14%.

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 NC Graduation Rates vs. National Average

First-Time / Part-Time NC Drop Out Rates

200 first-time / part-time students or 86% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 1 are still enrolled.

• 5 transferred to another institution.

• NC lost contact with the remaining 194 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

121 NC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 19.48% 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 34%, 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 34%.

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.

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

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

80 non first-time / part-time students or 66% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 3 transferred to another institution.

• NC lost contact with the remaining 77 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

129 NC students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 20.77% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 40%, 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 40%.

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.

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

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

77 non first-time / part-time students or 60% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 1 transferred to another institution.

• NC lost contact with the remaining 76 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