by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding OCU 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.
The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.
With 62% students making it past their freshmen year, OCU 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 Ohio, the average is 69.84%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| OCU | 62% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Ohio | 69.84% |
Of the 470 students in the class of 2023, how many completed their degree on time?
Four years after beginning their degree, 22% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 26% of the students had graduated and after eight years 27% 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 OCU graduation rate 26%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 395 | 22% |
| Six Years | 470 | 26% |
| Eight Years | 17 | 1% |
| Did Not Complete | 1329 | 73% |
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 1329 students or 73% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 1329 students who did not complete their degree?
0 are still enrolled.
282 transferred to another institution.
OCU lost contact with the remaining 1026 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.0% |
| Transferred | 282 | 21.2% |
| Dropped Out | 1026 | 77.2% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Asian | 100% |
| Black / African-American | 24% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 18% |
| Unknown | 32% |
| White | 43% |
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 OCU are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Looking at the individual cohorts below may tell you more than the overall graduation rate alone.
First-time / full-time students at Ohio Christian University represent 32.93% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OCU graduation rate was 29%, and by the eight year mark, 30% 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 | OCU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 23% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 29% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 30% | 47.82% |
419 first-time / full-time students or 70% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
3 are still enrolled.
118 transferred to another institution.
OCU lost contact with the remaining 298 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 3 | 0.72% |
| Transferred | 118 | 28.16% |
| Dropped Out | 298 | 71.12% |
First-time / part-time students at Ohio Christian University represent 23.07% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OCU graduation rate was 10%, and by the eight year mark, 10% 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 | OCU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 6% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 10% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 10% | 23.72% |
376 first-time / part-time students or 90% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
41 transferred to another institution.
OCU lost contact with the remaining 330 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 5 | 1.33% |
| Transferred | 41 | 10.90% |
| Dropped Out | 330 | 87.77% |
Returning / full-time students at Ohio Christian University represent 27.92% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OCU 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 | OCU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 38% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 39% | 55.07% |
308 non first-time / part-time students or 61% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
80 transferred to another institution.
OCU lost contact with the remaining 219 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 2.92% |
| Transferred | 80 | 25.97% |
| Dropped Out | 219 | 71.10% |
Returning / part-time students at Ohio Christian University represent 16.08% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OCU graduation rate was 23%, and by the eight year mark, 23% 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 | OCU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 19% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 23% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 23% | 37.80% |
226 non first-time / part-time students or 77% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
43 transferred to another institution.
OCU lost contact with the remaining 179 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 1.77% |
| Transferred | 43 | 19.03% |
| Dropped Out | 179 | 79.20% |
