by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding NMC 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 84% students making it past their freshmen year, NMC 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 Michigan, the average is 70.80%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| NMC | 84% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Michigan | 70.80% |
How many of the estimated 442 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 28% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 32% of the students had graduated and after eight years 33% 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 NMC graduation rate 32%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 395 | 28% |
| Six Years | 442 | 32% |
| Eight Years | 14 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 942 | 67% |
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 942 students or 67% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 942 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
359 transferred to another institution.
NMC lost contact with the remaining 548 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 359 | 38.1% |
| Dropped Out | 548 | 58.2% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 14% |
| Asian | 33% |
| Hispanic | 10% |
| International | 100% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 35% |
| Unknown | 17% |
| White | 26% |
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 NMC 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 Northwestern Michigan College represent 34.52% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the NMC graduation rate was 37%, and by the eight year mark, 38% 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 | NMC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 33% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 37% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 38% | 47.82% |
301 first-time / full-time students or 62% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
17 are still enrolled.
127 transferred to another institution.
NMC lost contact with the remaining 157 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 17 | 5.65% |
| Transferred | 127 | 42.19% |
| Dropped Out | 157 | 52.16% |
First-time / part-time students at Northwestern Michigan College represent 29.59% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the NMC graduation rate was 18%, and by the eight year mark, 19% 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 | NMC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 14% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 18% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 19% | 23.72% |
334 first-time / part-time students or 81% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
12 are still enrolled.
100 transferred to another institution.
NMC lost contact with the remaining 222 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 12 | 3.59% |
| Transferred | 100 | 29.94% |
| Dropped Out | 222 | 66.47% |
Returning / full-time students at Northwestern Michigan College represent 18.16% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the NMC graduation rate was 48%, and by the eight year mark, 49% 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 | NMC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 48% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 49% | 55.07% |
129 non first-time / part-time students or 51% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
61 transferred to another institution.
NMC lost contact with the remaining 65 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 2.33% |
| Transferred | 61 | 47.29% |
| Dropped Out | 65 | 50.39% |
Returning / part-time students at Northwestern Michigan College represent 17.73% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the NMC graduation rate was 27%, and by the eight year mark, 28% 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 | NMC | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 23% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 27% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 28% | 37.80% |
178 non first-time / part-time students or 72% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
71 transferred to another institution.
NMC lost contact with the remaining 104 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 1.69% |
| Transferred | 71 | 39.89% |
| Dropped Out | 104 | 58.43% |
