by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding OSU 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 85% students making it past their freshmen year, OSU 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 Oklahoma, the average is 65.20%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| OSU | 85% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Oklahoma | 65.20% |
How many of the estimated 3994 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 47% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 62% of the students had graduated and after eight years 64% 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 OSU graduation rate 62%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 3026 | 47% |
| Six Years | 3994 | 62% |
| Eight Years | 96 | 2% |
| Did Not Complete | 2341 | 36% |
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 2341 students or 36% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 2341 students who did not complete their degree?
23 are still enrolled.
921 transferred to another institution.
OSU lost contact with the remaining 1375 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 23 | 1.0% |
| Transferred | 921 | 39.3% |
| Dropped Out | 1375 | 58.7% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 57% |
| Asian | 62% |
| Black / African-American | 48% |
| Hawaiian | 50% |
| Hispanic | 60% |
| International | 68% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 62% |
| Unknown | 75% |
| White | 69% |
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 OSU are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Looking at the individual cohorts below may tell you more than the overall graduation rate alone.
First-time / full-time students at Oklahoma State University-Main Campus represent 62.07% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OSU graduation rate was 64%, and by the eight year mark, 66% 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 | OSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 45% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 64% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 66% | 47.82% |
1377 first-time / full-time students or 34% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
24 are still enrolled.
532 transferred to another institution.
OSU lost contact with the remaining 821 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 24 | 1.74% |
| Transferred | 532 | 38.63% |
| Dropped Out | 821 | 59.62% |
First-time / part-time students at Oklahoma State University-Main Campus represent 3.87% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OSU graduation rate was 36%, and by the eight year mark, 39% 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 | OSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 14% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 36% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 39% | 23.72% |
153 first-time / part-time students or 61% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
4 are still enrolled.
58 transferred to another institution.
OSU lost contact with the remaining 91 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 4 | 2.61% |
| Transferred | 58 | 37.91% |
| Dropped Out | 91 | 59.48% |
Returning / full-time students at Oklahoma State University-Main Campus represent 26.34% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OSU graduation rate was 66%, and by the eight year mark, 67% 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 | OSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 66% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 67% | 55.07% |
552 non first-time / part-time students or 33% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
9 are still enrolled.
218 transferred to another institution.
OSU lost contact with the remaining 325 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 9 | 1.63% |
| Transferred | 218 | 39.49% |
| Dropped Out | 325 | 58.88% |
Returning / part-time students at Oklahoma State University-Main Campus represent 7.71% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the OSU graduation rate was 46%, and by the eight year mark, 48% 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 | OSU | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 37% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 46% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 48% | 37.80% |
259 non first-time / part-time students or 52% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
8 are still enrolled.
113 transferred to another institution.
OSU lost contact with the remaining 138 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 8 | 3.09% |
| Transferred | 113 | 43.63% |
| Dropped Out | 138 | 53.28% |
